The deputy chief medical officer says there’s been a four-fold increase in Covid hospitalisations and ICU admissions over the past six weeks.
Dr Ronan Glynn says there are 43 patients with the virus in intensive care – just below the 47 at the peak of the second wave.
And 223 were in public hospitals with Covid last night – up from 62 a month ago.
Dr Glynn says the situation has changed radically over the past month and a half:
