Number of Covid-19 patients in critical care beginning to level off
The number of patients in critical care with confirmed or suspected cases of Covid-19 is showing signs of levelling off, HSE figures reveal.
Figures published today show that 142 people with confirmed cases of Covid-19 were in critical care, while 27 suspected cases were also occupying critical care beds.
Of the confirmed cases, 94 patients were on ventilators yesterday evening.
The patterns show that the number of people in critical care has been levelling off for almost a week.
St James’s Hospital and Tallaght Hospital in Dublin have the highest number of patients in critical care.
While there were a total of 127 vacant critical care beds across the country at 6.30pm on Wednesday, Tallaght Hospital was one of seven hospitals that were at full capacity.
The figures also show that the number of coronavirus cases admitted to hospitals across the country is beginning to level with a total of 846 people needing hospital care.
The HSE report states the number of patients admitted to hospitals and awaiting the Covid-19 test results is also declining.
One of those who died was 23 – Ireland’s youngest victim to date.
There were 1,068 new cases of coronavirus confirmed in Ireland, bringing the total since the outbreak began to 12,547.
On Wednesday the chief medical officer said that restrictions on social movement in Ireland will not be lifted in the same order as they were introduced.
Dr Tony Holohan said priority would be given to steps with lower infection risks and greater societal benefits, suggesting the reopening of schools would come ahead of any return of mass social gatherings.
But he warned that measures to suppress the spread of the virus were likely to remain in place until a vaccine became available – a development he predicted would take a “lengthy period of time”.
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