1,725 cases confirmed as 24 patients with Covid hospitalised in 24 hours

The chairperson of the IMO is reminding older people of the importance of the booster vaccination. File Picture: Brian Lawless/PA Wire

The number of people being hospitalised with Covid-19 has increased with 473 patients being treated in hospital.

This marks an increase of 24 since yesterday.

There are currently 97 patients with the virus being treated in the county's intensive care units - up four in 24 hours.

The Department of Health confirmed 1,725 further cases of Covid-19 this afternoon.

Speaking this weekend, the HSE chief said the number of Covid patients in hospital is putting “immense pressure” on the health service.

Paul Reid said six hospital groups and “about 20 hospitals” have had to postpone certain non-Covid procedures as a result.

Hospitals in Cork, Galway, Limerick, Navan, and Wexford, and a couple of children's hospitals had already been affected, he said.

Staffing issues were adding to the overall pressure faced by the HSE, he said.

At present, 1,800 healthcare staff are off work with Covid, or because they were a close contact of a confirmed case.

Mr Reid warned that 2,000 health workers will soon be out of work with the virus.

Pressure is mounting on the National Immunisation Advisory Committee (Niac) to approve the rollout of booster jabs for healthcare workers.

The concern is that if the green light is not given for healthcare workers to get a booster more of them will be absent from work with the virus.

The chairperson of the Irish Medical Organisation said it is vital that healthcare workers receive a third jab soon as it has been approximately eight months since they were first vaccinated.

"All it would take is one healthcare worker. For their immune response to be not as good and that would be a danger to the people they are treating. Therefore, I think it is essential that healthcare workers are vaccinated," said Dr Denis McCauley.

The Donegal GP is also reminding older people of the importance of the booster vaccination.

He says there are some who are eligible for the booster vaccine who are reluctant to take it.

"I think it's possibly due to fatigue and perhaps they feel that they don't need a third shot.

"I would first of all say to people over 80, it is very important that they realise the immunity is waning from the first injections."

As we head into the winter months, Dr McCauley is encourage those who are able to get the booster jab to avail of it as soon as it is offered to them.

The use of boosters for everyone over the age of 18 - six months after their second jab - has already been cleared by the European Medicines Agency.

So far in Ireland, Niac has only approved boosters for those over 60 and people who are immuno-compromised.