It has been revealed that thirteen hospitals around the country have no ICU beds left as the third wave of Covid-19 wreaks havoc on our health service.
HSE Chief Executive Paul Reid also revealed that there is at least 1,700 patients with Covid-19 in Irish hospitals as well.
There are 143 people in ICU and around half of the patients are on ventilators as the situation continues to deteriorate.
Nobody wants more people sick with #COVID19. 1,700 patients now in hospital & 143 in ICU would swap with any of us. The big ask of everyone is to stay at home & help get our hospitals & nursing homes back to safer levels. Our healthcare teams ask just this of us. @HSELive
— Paul Reid (@paulreiddublin) January 12, 2021
According to overnight figures, there are 30 ICU beds left in the country.
Data shows that Cork University Hospital is caring for 140 Covid-19 patients, the highest number in the country. University Hospital Limerick has 124 patients with Covid-19 and St Vincent’s University Hospital in Dublin has 117.
There does look to be an end in sight to this third wave. Daily cases and positivity rates are falling, yet with Ireland having the worst rate of coronavirus in the world, it will be some time before the situation is under control.
The Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan has said the hospital situation is worsening.
“While we are seeing the first glimmer of hope in respect of our daily case figures and positivity rates, the situation in hospitals and ICUs around the country continues to worsen day on day.”
“We know that hospitalisations occur some weeks after a confirmed case is notified, and mortality after that again.”
“That means we are unfortunately set for a period of time where the situation in our hospitals gets worse before it gets better.”
“The best way forward now is for all of us to stay at home.”
“Staying at home and cutting your contacts right down to only those in your immediate household is the one vital way we will protect our healthcare system as it struggles with the burdens brought on by this surge in Covid-19 infections.”
Yesterday, there were eight deaths confirmed bringing Ireland’s death toll to 2,352. There were a further 4,929 cases confirmed bringing the total number of cases up to 152, 539.
