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Record High Number of People With Covid in Irish Hospitals This morning

Wednesday, 6 January 2021 09:42

921 is the highest number since the pandemic began.

It's an increase of 48 patients since 8pm last night.

There are 75 people with the virus being treated in ICUs including 6 at Cork University Hospital.

There are 78 confirmed cases at CUH and 22 at the Mercy University Hospital.

Earlier this week, the HSE CEO Paul Reid says there was surge capacity in the system for up to 450 intensive care beds.

Former President of the Intensive Care Society is Catherine Motherway - she says that is not a scenario that staff want to be in:

"I would devoutly hope we don't use any of that surge capacity because when you talk about surge capacity in ICU, you talk about a bed that isn't normally staffed with experienced personnel. We do have the equipment but you talk about transferring staff from other areas, who have some baseline skills but who need significant support. And we know from other jurisdictions, in particular our neighbours, that surge capacity doesn't have as good an outcome as your standardised capacity."

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