NEW FIGURES RELEASED by the HSE show that hospitals in Ireland are treating over  700 patients with Covid-19 and that 132 patients are currently in ICU. 

The report issued last night shows there are 770 confirmed cases, as well as 320 suspected cases in hospitals that are awaiting test results.

The acute hospitals with the most confirmed cases are in Dublin with the figures covering the situation up to last night. 

In Dublin, the Mater Hospital is treating 103 Covid-19 patients, Beaumont Hospital has 88 cases with Tallaght Hospital treating 76 Covid-19 patients. 

Limerick University Hospital is treating 33 confirmed cases, Mayo Hospital has 33 and Our Lady of Lourdes Hospital in Drogheda has 31.

Meanwhile, there are 132 confirmed Covid-19 patients in ICU beds with 88 of these patients currently on ventilators. 

St. James’ Hospital, St. Vincent’s and the Mater, all in Dublin, are treating the highest number of ICU cases with 16, 13 and 12 ICU patients respectively. 

As of 8am yesterday, there were 1,801 vacant general hospital beds, according to the HSE, with 133 vacant ICU beds as of 6.30pm. 

HSE HSE

The report was released after Ireland’s health officials confirmed a further 44 deaths from Covid-19 and 388 new cases of the disease in Ireland.

This brings the total number of confirmed cases in Ireland to 16,040. The total lab-confirmed deaths related to Covid-19 is now at 730.

There are a further 108 deaths of suspected Covid-19 patients in residential care settings, reported by public health teams. These deaths will be included in official lab-confirmed figures once their results are confirmed. 

Of the 44 deaths reported yesterday evening, 37 were located in the east, two were in the west, two in the north-west and three in the south of the country. 

Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan, meanwhile, warned against the public presuming measures will be largely relaxed in the coming weeks. 

Speaking at the briefing last night, he said that there can’t be any “taking the foot off the gas”, as we approach 5 May, when the latest bout of restrictions are due to be lifted.

“We don’t want to fall at the last hurdle,” he said.

Holohan said that 55% of all cases of Covid-19 had recovered in the community, ie, without the need for hospitalisation. 

The Government has said it plans to publish “a roadmap” for the Covid-19 crisis and yesterday announced that no licenses will be issued for events of over 5,000 people until September at the earliest. 

Health Minister Simon Harris has said previously that the Irish public will have to learn to live with the virus circulating; hinting that although some restrictions may be lifted during the summer, others like social distancing measures will remain for some time yet.