Hospitals already under pressure ahead of St Patrick’s Day, health officials warn

Irish people are being warned to avoid attending emergency departments in the coming days, if possible, amid rising hospital admissions ahead of the St Patrick’s Day bank holiday weekend.

The HSE warned on Tuesday that 1,047 patients with Covid-19 are in hospital – the highest number since mid-January.

With 101 Covid-19 outbreaks across Irish hospitals and nearly 600 in community care facilities, officials have described the situation in the healthcare system as “extremely challenging”.

Ahead of the St Patrick’s Day celebrations, the HSE has asked people to consider other options before attending emergency departments.

The HSE said March 17 was usually a “very busy day” for medical staff.

Chief operations officer Anne O’Connor said: “Anyone who suspects they may be facing an emergency situation should of course come to the emergency department and they will be seen and treated.

“However, we would ask those who may be in a non-urgent situation to help our staff through a challenging time by looking at other healthcare options where possible.”

Another 6,284 positive cases of Covid-19 were confirmed by PCR testing in Ireland on Tuesday.

A further 9,735 people registered a positive antigen test through the HSE portal.