THERE ARE 400 patients with Covid-19 in hospital as of this morning, according to the Government’s Covid Data Hub - with an estimated 40% of those patients unvaccinated.

There are 75 patients in ICU as of this morning, with an estimated 69% of them unvaccinated. 

That is the highest number of Covid-19 patients in hospitals since 8 March, and the highest number in ICUs since 25 March.

The HSE Chief Clinical Officer Dr Colm Henry told RTÉ Radio’s News at One that the numbers of Covid-19 patients in Irish hospitals “is a concern, for sure”.

“These numbers are higher than we’d like, there’s no doubt about that, but they’re much lower than they would have been if you look at the number of cases that we have in our community – and that’s because of our vaccination programme.

That link between cases and harm is weakened, severely weakened, but not completely broken.

92% of the Irish public are vaccinated, Dr Henry said – adding that those who are not vaccinated could still put “big pressures” on the healthcare system this winter. 

There still remains 40,000 or 50,000 people out there over the age of 40, we estimate, who are not vaccinated, who remain vulnerable.

The INMO said that there are 477 admitted patients are waiting for beds this morning – the highest number of patients on trolleys in one day since the start of the pandemic.

352 patients are waiting in the emergency department, while 125 are in wards elsewhere in the hospital. 87 patients on trolleys in UHL is the highest daily figure for any hospital since the start of the pandemic.

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An INMO spokesperson said: “The steady increase in overcrowding here is extremely worrying. It’s vital that this is addressed now, before we are into the really difficult winter months.

“Our members can’t be expected to contend with Covid and maintain infection control measures in such an unsafe environment and we need urgent action to tackle this immediately.”