Nurses have said new, expanded restrictions need to be introduced on the number of people passing through hospitals each day as part of updated emergency protocols to combat Covid-19.
Separately, the trade union Siptu said staff shortages were now "everywhere" in the health service.
“They are all across the board in acute settings, mental health services, care in the community and the National Ambulance Service.
Hospital Report
“No area of care hasn’t been severely impacted upon in recent days from Covid-19 infections, symptoms or the challenges health workers are facing attending work due to care commitments.”
The Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation (INMO) said on Friday, following a special meeting of its executive, that "critical emergency" protocols were needed in the HSE to deal with this phase of the pandemic.
The union’s executive council again called for the provision of childcare for all healthcare workers, to ensure that school closures do not further deplete rosters.
Siptu said Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly must "immediately intervene and remove any roadblocks to health service recruitment as part of an emergency effort to address the unsustainable staffing crisis that is spreading right across the health service".
The union's health division organiser Kevin Figgis, said: "The current stress on our health services is completely unsustainable. Patient numbers are rising while staffing levels are falling. The Minister must act now and make sure recruitment is fast tracked to ensure health workers are supported in this hour of national emergency."
The HSE has said about 6,000 additional staff have been employed over the last year and that further recruitment is underway.
INMO president and emergency department nurse, Karen McGowan, said: “A new level of crisis demands a new approach. The HSE needs to upgrade its protocols and safety measures urgently to take account of the rapid growth of this virus.”
“The health service we had just last month is unrecognisable today. Staff on the ground are telling us that a drastic upgrade in safety is needed, to protect workers and patients alike.”
