1,308 patients are in hospital with Covid, 49 of which are in ICU.
The HSE have been notified of over 64,000 positive Covid tests since Saint Patrick's Day, they revealed on Monday.
The numbers consist of both positive antigen tests reported via the HSE Portal, and PCR-confirmed cases of Covid over the long Bank Holiday weekend.
As of 8am on Monday (21 March), 1,308 patients are in hospital with Covid, with 49 of those patients currently in ICU.
Since Saint Patrick's Day, Covid cases have continued to rise in the country, with the following numbers reported:
- Thursday, 17 March: 5,321 PCR-confirmed cases, 8,322 positive antigen tests.
- Friday, 18 March: 5,628 PCR-confirmed cases, 6,313 positive antigen tests.
- Saturday, 19 March: 4,787 PCR-confirmed cases, 6,774 positive antigen tests.
- Sunday, 20 March: 5,067 PCR-confirmed cases, 7,177 positive antigen tests.
- Monday, 21 March: 4,024 PCR-confirmed cases, 10,631 positive antigen tests.
This brings Ireland's total positive tests to nearly 1.4 million, with 64,044 cases confirmed in the past five days alone.
Speaking on Sunday as part of a commemoration ceremony for those who have lost their lives to Covid-19, Tánaiste Leo Varadkar noted that the current spike in Covid cases is "
a cause for concern, not a cause for panic".
Varadkar said that the Government is closely monitoring the situation.
"This is another wave but we don't anticipate it will necessitate the reimposition of restrictions," he said.
"But other things need to continue. We need to make sure that people have their boosters and third doses."
Varadkar said that the implementation of a fourth vaccine dose is under consideration, though this would likely be reserved for older and more medically vulnerable individuals.
University Hospital Limerick recently announced a return to restrictions on Sunday due to "very high" Covid levels detected amongst in-patients.
https://twitter.com/ULHospitals/status/1505505539085721605?s=20&t=1q6QQ2zWUtir2WlN1KFPMw
"We regret the imposition of visiting restrictions so soon after we began to lift them," said a spokesperson.
"The decision has been taken to help keep all patients and staff safe, and to ensure that the hospital’s essential services can remain open at this time."
