921 people with Covid-19 are being treated in Irish hospitals this morning - the highest number since the pandemic began.
It's an increase since last night of 48 patients.
There are 75 people with the virus being treated in ICUs.
HSE CEO Paul Reid took to Twitter this morning to voice his concern that we've now passed the peak level of the first wave of Covid-19, warning that "healthy people are getting very sick".
With 921people in hospital, we've now exceeded the peak level of the 1st wave (881).75 in ICU. Healthy people are getting very sick. Everyone gets how serious this is now. Let's all do what's needed, turn this around, save lives, whilst the vaccine arrives. We have to. @HSELive
— Paul Reid (@paulreiddublin) January 6, 2021
Earlier this week, the HSE CEO Paul Reid said there was surge capacity in the system for up to 450 intensive care beds.
Former President of the Intensive Care Society is Catherine Motherway - she says that is not a scenario that staff want to be in:
"When you talk about surge capacity in ICU, you talk about a bed that isn't normally staffed by experienced personnel. You do have the equipment, [but you transfer] the staff from other areas who have some baseline skills but need significant support."
