Covid cases hit 40 at St Luke’s hospital for Carlow Kilkenny as HSE Chief Clinical officer warns infection rates are causing serious disruption to health service

High infection rates of Covid-19 are causing serious disruption to the Health service according to the Chief Clinical Officer at the HSE.

On Wednesday, the health service called on only those requiring emergency medical care to arrive at the ED at St Luke’s General for Carlow and Kilkenny.

HSE figures have confirmed 6 new cases of covid at St Luke’s bringing to 40 the number of patients with the virus.

One person is in the intensive care unit.

Scenes at other hospitals around Ireland are similar with almost 1,400 cases of the virus overall.

Dr Colm Henry says the situation would be much starker without vaccination:

“Of the almost 1400 patients who are testing positive for covid in hospitals, 35% of them are not vaccinated and that contrasts to about 5% of the adult population”

Meanwhile INMO daily figures showed 43 were waiting on a bed at the local hospital yesterday – that figure is at 34 today.