Concern has been expressed at the rising number of people in intensive care units with Covid-19.
Health Service Executive CEO, Paul Reid, has said the number of Covid patients in IC units has risen by 20% in one week, as he urged people to continue to come forward and be vaccinated.
Speaking on RTÉ’s This Week, Mr Reid said that a rise in cases over the past four days has been matched with an increase in hospitalisations.
The Department of Health today reported 1,384 new cases of Covid-19.
As of this morning, there were 382 patients being treated in hospital for Covid-19, an increase of 29 on the same time yesterday.
Of these, 74 patients are in ICUs with the virus.
Mr Reid said that 67% of the patients in ICU have not been vaccinated for Covid-19, while 3% are partially vaccinated.
There were 319 people in hospital with Covid-19 on the same day last week.
Eleven people with the virus were discharged from hospital in the past 24 hours, while 40 were admitted for treatment for Covid-19.
Mr Reid said the HSE has been rolling out additional third vaccine doses to the immunocompromised and to the over 65s in long-term care facilities, with one third of care homes completed in recent weeks.
He said that people aged over 80 who live in the community are getting a third dose through their GPs.
Mr Reid said that if the National Immunisation Advisory Committee makes recommendations for a booster programme the HSE will mobilise to deliver it.
In Northern Ireland, 1,115 additional cases of Covid-19 and three further deaths have been reported in the last 24 hours.
