Larger hospitals are being told to prioritise urgent and Covid care over the next two weeks.
The head of the HSE says rising covid cases are putting hospitals under severe pressure.
It comes as a Midwest ICU consultant has said elective surgeries will have to be cancelled if further capacity is needed.
643 Covid patients are in hospital today – the highest number since February – and 94 more than a week ago.
Around a fifth are in intensive care with just 17 adult ICU beds available nationwide.
At University Hospital Limerick, there are now 47 patients being treated for Covid with 14 in ICU, up 1 on yesterday’s figure.
HSE CEO Paul Reid says private hospitals will be used to take the pressure off.
The Head of the Intensive Care Unit at the region’s main hospital says elective surgeries will have to be cancelled if further capacity is needed.
The ICU at University Hospital Limerick is already in surge capacity, despite extra beds coming on stream since the beginning of the pandemic.
Dr. Catherine Motherway says they’ve created additional level three capacity ICU beds, by temporarily reducing their level two beds.
However, Dr. Motherway is warning that surgical staff will have to be redeployed if the unit comes under more pressure.
