1,358 new Covid cases as HSE chief warns of 'very difficult winter'

75 patients are receiving treatment in intensive care as the director general of the HSE Paul Reid warns that it is going to be a “very challenging” winter for the health service and that healthcare workers are "exhausted". 

Health officials have confirmed that there has been a further 1,358 cases of Covid-19 on Monday.

The Department of Health has also said that 400 Covid patients are in hospital with the virus. 

As of October 6, there have been 5,280 deaths associated with Covid-19. 31 of those were confirmed last week.

It comes as the number of people receiving treatment in hospital for Covid-19 is at its highest level since March when the country was trapped in the grips of the third infection wave. 

75 patients are receiving treatment in intensive care as the director general of the HSE Paul Reid warns that it is going to be a “very challenging” winter for the health service and that healthcare workers are "exhausted". 

Mr Reid was speaking on Newstalk Breakfast earlier today, where he was outlining the current situation with Covid-19 figures. 

As of Sunday night there were 393 people in hospital with Covid-19, 74 of them in ICU, that was a rise of 23%, he said.

In the last four days the number of cases had risen from 1,500 to 2,000 per day, he added. 

Of the 74 patients in ICU, 67% were unvaccinated and 3% were partially vaccinated, he said.

Mr Reid also pointed out that of the 74 in ICU, 58% were aged over 50 and 40% were in the 15-49 age group which highlighted the risk of serious illness for those who were not vaccinated.

These figures have now increased again since Mr Reid' warning this morning with 400 patients hospitalised with the virus. 

Of those patients, 75 are receiving treatment in intensive care, another increase of one from yesterday.

Winter response

“It’s going to be a very difficult winter. Our staff are exhausted,” he said.  

HSE chief Paul Reid warned that the HSE is under severe pressure heading into this Winter. Picture Denis Minihane.

A number of initiatives were going to be introduced to cope with the pressures on the health service during this “challenging time”, he added. 

The measures included a procurement agreement with private hospitals providing 1,000 bed days per week for non-Covid care along with extra capacity for operating theatres and clinics and the National Treatment Purchase Fund. 

There would also be a focus on treatment in the community and keeping people safely at home.

Mr Reid repeated a call for anyone who is not vaccinated to do so. “No one will be left behind," he said.  

Vaccination clinics were available in colleges and the HSE was also working with not for profit organisations dealing with vulnerable people to ensure they could get the vaccine.

Covid-19 continued to have a “disproportionate” effect on the health service, while case numbers and hospitalisations were “steady”, he would prefer to see them coming down, he said.