University Hospital Kerry is completing its second round of COVID-19 vaccinations for the vast majority of its staff today.
The allocation to UHK has also allowed for ambulance and mental health staff in the hospital to be vaccinated, along with some GPs, practice nurses, pharmacists and dentists.
UHK has also taken patients from other hospitals that have reached their ICU capacity and the Air Corps helicopter has been used to transport patients.
However, the number of staff infected with or impacted by COVID-19 has increased due to the post-Christmas surge in cases.
Clinical Director at UHK, Dr Niamh Feely is urging people to keep adhering to public health guidelines to bring down infection rates so the health service can begin to operate more fully:
Meanwhile, the HSE is renewing its call for healthcare staff to help cope with demand on services.
The executive says this is to deal with a significant number of residential centres in crisis.
Across Kerry and Cork, the HSE is dealing with at least 60 outbreaks in public and private nursing homes.
Any nurses or healthcare assistants who are available are asked to email Chief Officer Michael Fitzgerald directly on [email protected].
