Patients were left waiting in ambulances outside Letterkenny University Hospital yesterday as the facility comes to terms with surging coronavirus cases.

There were 79 coronavirus patients in the hospital last night, more than double the peak it treated in the first wave.

Up to seven ambulances were left waiting outside the hospital for beds to come available.

Medics were forced to assess patients in the vehicles as they waited, to ensure they were treated in clinical priority.

Ambulance queuing outside Letterkenny University Hospital. Image: IMNO

The hospital has apologised to the patients involved and has secured extra staff to allow it to open 11 more beds this week.

The INMO said it was “exceptionally concerned” about the situation.

"Our members are reporting unprecedented pressure on Letterkenny Hospital," said the organisation's IRO for the north west, Neal Donohue. "Beds are closed due to staffing shortages and the emergency department is packed.

"We have reached a stage where at least seven patients are being treated in ambulances because there isn't space in the hospital. This is the biggest outbreak the hospital has ever faced. We urgently need extra staff in Letterkenny to cope."

Hospitals

Across the country, there were 1,499 COVID-19 in Irish hospital last night, with 126 people in intensive care.

Cork University Hospital was the busiest in the country with 135 coronavirus patients admitted.

There were 6,888 new confirmed cases of the virus announced last night – and the country's 14-day incidence rate now stands at 1,291.2 per 100,000 people.

Virus rates

DCU Health Systems Professor Anthony Staines told Newstalk that Ireland now has one of the highest virus rates in the world.

“The numbers are much higher than, I think, anyone had feared,” he said.

“We now have almost the highest rate of COVID-19 on the planet, which is very worrying, and our rate has gone up much faster than other European countries.”

He said the rise in Ireland’s figures is similar to that seen in Britain and noted that it appears to be due to increased movement and social activity over Christmas and the new strains of the virus.

He said that between 20% and 30% of Ireland’s cases in recent days have been identified as the UK strain.

Vaccination

Professor Staines said he does not expect to see 80% of people here vaccinated until the Autumn at the earliest.

“We have been doing a little bit of work modelling various scenarios for vaccination and it is very hard to see how we can get vaccination compete, certainly much before September and probably much before October,” he said.

“The implications of that are brutal.”

The Head of the National Immunisation Advisory Committee told On the Record with Gavan Reilly yesterday that the "bulk" of the population could be vaccinated by the summer.

Professor Karina Butler said the rollout is going “really well” with officials doing all they can to speed up the programme.