Analysis: Hospitals running out of ICU beds as surge capacity expanded

Crisis in critical care continues as number of Covid-19 cases has begun to fall

As the country endures its third lockdown, Irish people are reporting more loneliness, anxiety and intolerance of the pandemic. Picture: Rollingnews.ie

Fourteen of the country’s 28 public hospitals had no critical care beds available yesterday as the cumulation of weeks of surging Covid-19 numbers tests the limits of the nation‘s health service.

There were a total of 24 ICU beds free across the system yesterday. Capacity has been expanded from 276 to 305 in the last week as the HSE began to prepare surge capacity.

The number of Covid-19 patients in ICU reached 158 yesterday, surpassing ...