The Chief Executive of the HSE said Ireland is heading into January with a "much higher level of demand" on resources compared to last year.
Mr Reid said there is a "period of uncertainty ahead" with the HSE taking actions to mitigate the risks against healthcare. "We are heading into this period with a high level of Covid patients," he said. "This day last year there were 239 Covid patients in hospital and 25 in ICU.
Today, 431 are in hospital and 102 in ICU, nearly five times the number this time last year," he added. He said the health service was anxious and apprehensive about what staff may have to face in January. "No one would wish what they had to go through last January and February of this year," he said.