Hospitals across the Shannonside Northern Sound Region have seen a major increase in Covid positive patients this week.
When compared to figures recorded on St. Stephen's Day, local hospitals have seen more than double the amount of patients being treated with or for Covid-19.
Nationally, 884 people are in hospital with Covid this morning - up 80 in 24 hours and more than double the figure from Christmas Day.
181 people who've tested positive for the virus are currently admitted to the region's seven hospitals, an increase of just under 100 on St Stephens Day.
Each local hospital has seen its patient load double in the last week due to the Omicron surge, resulting in the scaling down of elective procedures.
In Our Lady's Hospital in Drogheda, staff are treating 56 Covid patients, 4 of whom are in the ICU, up from 31 last week.
Covid patient numbers have more than doubled in University Hospital Galway from 16 on St Stephens Day to 36 today.
Sligo University Hospital and the Midlands Regional Hospital in Tullamore are each dealing with 20 Covid patients, an increase from 5 and 9 respectively last week.
While in Cavan, hospital figures have increased by 10 from last week, with 18 patients currently undergoing treatment for or with Covid.
Positivity levels have also more than doubled in Mullingar and Portiuncula Hospital, Ballinasloe, with 16 and 15 people with the virus currently at the respective hospitals.
Latest Covid figures recorded 16,986 new Covid cases yesterday, with experts advising that the true figure for positive tests could be 40 per cent higher due to the backlogs in testing.
