One fifth of nurses at University Hospital Kerry are absent today because they have COVID-19 or have to restrict their movements.
UHK's clinical director, Dr Niamh Feely says overall more than 10% of staff can't work due to coronavirus-related concerns.
This morning there were 221 in-patients at University Hospital Kerry, 26 of these have COVID-19.
There's also a number of patients who're close contacts.
Dr Niamh Feely says there's been a steady but small number of patients - in single figures - who have been treated for COVID-19 in a dedicated ICU for those with the virus.
Staff are also under huge pressure because of the number of colleagues absent due to COVID-19 concerns - including around 100 nurses.
Dr Feely says understandably they don't want to bring in patients, whose care could safely wait, into such an environment.
She says the emergency department is very stretched and is coping with some 80 - 100 patients per day.
Dr Feely says staff in ED are on a knife edge and is appealing to people only to go there if it's an emergency.
