LATEST: ‘Grim’ – HSE boss concern as hospitalisations rise and 3,805 new cases of virus confirmed

A further 3,805 more people have contracted Covid-19, the Department of Health confirmed this evening.

There are now 582 Covid-19 patients with the virus in hospital, an increase of 26 since yesterday. And of these, 106 people are in ICU.

HSE chief executive Paul Reid described the increasing numbers of people with Covid-19 in hospitals as “grim”.  But he said the HSE is calling for an urgent change in behaviour rather than any full or partial lockdowns.

Mr Reid said: “I’ve been talking to ICU consultants this morning and they are under extreme duress with 106 Covid patients at the moment, and a further 380 cases receiving advanced respiratory support out of a total of 582 cases.

“Many of those will become ICU patients as well, so we urgently need the general population to retract and adopt public health measures.”