Gardaí had to be called to Wexford General Hospital on two occasions recently, after patients suspected of being Covid-positive refused to remain isolated.
Some went for walks and outside to smoke.
Dr Mick Molloy, a consultant in emergency medicine at the facility, says isolating suspected cases is done to protect both patients and staff.
However, he says some insisted on moving around, against instructions from medics.
Dr Molloy said: "If people are not compliant with the measures there is nothing we can do. If someone comes in and says, 'I have Covid and I'm refusing to wear a mask', I'm sorry, but we can't help you in that scenario unless you help us.”
In Irish hospitals patients who are suspected of having Covid are required to self-isolate until a negative result is received.
As of 2pm today, 1,518 Covid-19 patients are hospitalised, of which 211 are in ICU. 51 additional Covid-19 cases have been reported in Irish hospitals in the past 24 hours.
48 further Covid-19 related deaths and 1,254 additional cases have been confirmed in the Republic of Ireland today.
Of the confirmed deaths, 45 occurred in January.
The median age of those who died is 82 years and the age range is 30-99.
There has been a total of 3,214 Covid-19 related deaths in Ireland.
