The number of people receiving care for Covid-19 at Sligo University hospital has almost doubled in the space of a week.
The north-west facility is treating the largest number of people with the virus in the country today.
64 people with the virus are receiving care at the north-west facility today - a rise of five in the space of 24 hours.
However, there are no patients receiving care in ICU.
On this day last week, just 33 people were Covid positive in the hospital - and the rise in numbers with the virus has added to the strain on the hospital - with the INMO today revealing that 198 people have been waiting at the hospital's ED for treatment this week.
Today's INMO Trolleywatch shows 29 people waiting to be admitted - with 58 people at Galway university hospital and 21 at Portiuncula Hospital.
Hospitals in the NorthernSound region are not reporting any issues of overcrowding
The figures in Sligo come after a consultant in Emergency Medicine at Sligo Fergal Hickey told Shannonside Northern Sound that the overcrowding at the hospital this week is the worst he's ever seen there.
He said the overcrowding is due to a combination of factors including a high number of people attending the ED, a high number of Covid cases, and the fact that beds in some nursing homes can't be used due to Covid issues.
According to INMO TrolleyWatch figures, 2,485 patients have been without a bed in Irish hospitals this week with the Oireachtas Health Committee will discuss hospital overcrowding on Wednesday, 9th March.
