Mayo University Hospital (MUH ) has seen a spike in the number of positive Covid-19 cases in the hospital over the past week.
To battle the spread of the virus, the hospital this week suspended access to visitors since Tuesday, March 22 - to enhance patient safety and prevent ward outbreaks.
Visits on compassionate grounds continue to be facilitated by the hospital, through contact with ward managers in advance of any such visit being arranged, with separate arrangements being in place for access to the maternity department for nominated support partners.
The hospital also had to cancel a number of elective procedures this week to deal with the high number of people presenting at the hospital's emergency department needing treatment.
The HSE's Covid-19 Daily Operations update, which tracks the number of patients being treated in hospitals around the country with Covid-19, outlined the spike in numbers with the virus in Mayo University Hospital.
On St Patrick's Day, March 17, there were 38 people with Covid-19 being treated in Mayo University Hospital, that number jumped to 70 by 2pm on Wednesday, March 23. The latest data for a seven-day period has shown a steady growth in the numbers being treated in the hospital with the virus.
On March 18 there were 38 cases; the following day, March 19, that had jumped by eight, on March 20 it had increased to 50, the next day March 21, that number increased by ten to 60, there were another eight cases being treated on March 22, bringing the number to 68 and on the last day that data was available before publication, March 23, the number had increased to 70 - an increase of 32 cases in seven days.
