There are now 921 people with Covid-19 being treated in Irish hospitals this morning - the highest number since the pandemic began.
This morning's figures mark a 48-person increase since 8pm last night.
There are 75 people with the virus being treated in Intensive Care Units (ICUs).
With 921people in hospital, we've now exceeded the peak level of the 1st wave (881).75 in ICU. Healthy people are getting very sick. Everyone gets how serious this is now. Let's all do what's needed, turn this around, save lives, whilst the vaccine arrives. We have to. @HSELive
— Paul Reid (@paulreiddublin) January 6, 2021
This morning, HSE CEO Paul Reid tweeted to confirm Ireland has exceeded the peak number recorded on April 15th of 881.
Mr Reid added: "Healthy people are getting very sick. Everyone gets how serious this is now. Let's all so what's needed, turn this around, save lives whilst the vaccine arrives. We have to."
Earlier this week, Mr Reid said there was surge capacity in the system for up to 450 critical care beds.
Former President of the Intensive Care Society Catherine Motherway said this is not a scenario staff want to be in.
"I would hope that we don't use any of the surge capacity because when you talk about using surge capacity in ICUs, you talk about a bed that isn't normally staffed with experienced personnel and transferring staff from other areas who have some baseline skills, but need significant support.
"We know from other jurisdictions, particularly our neighbours, that surge capacity does not have as good an outcome as your standard ICU capacity."
Dr Motherway, who is head of the intensive care unit at the Mid Western University Regional hospital in Limerick, told RTÉ radio’s Morning Ireland that there were “significant Covid admissions” at the hospital and a number of outbreaks on site.
“We are coping, but we’re under pressure,” she said.
She warned that increased Covid-19 figures are placing a burden on ICU departments.
As the number of cases rises, there will be more people who will require hospitalisation “and we will see more in ICU.”
Hard choices
There were finite resources and if too many people contracted the virus “we will have to make hard choices.”
Dr Motherway said she hoped that the figures would drop in the community under Level 5 restrictions, as the rate of transmission was higher compared with the last lockdown and the spread of the virus was across the country and not just on the east coast.
“We are extremely worried that we will see continued transmission and hospitalisations,” she said.
However, if everyone stayed at home then the numbers would reduce, she added.
Dr Motherway said that while a vaccine to protect against the disease gives some hope, people still needed to exercise caution as “there's no point dying of this disease while waiting for the vaccine.”
