Concern over rate of increase in COVID 19 hospitalisations across West

Galway Bay fm newsroom - Senior HSE officials have highlighted serious concern over the rate of increase in COVID-19 hospital admissions across the West in recent days.

56 patients with confirmed cases of the virus were being treated in hospitals in Galway and Mayo on Christmas Day.

This increased to 86 last evening.

The incidence rate for the city and county now stands at 143.4 - with 370 cases recorded in Galway over the 14 day period.

Chief Executive of the Saolta Hospital Group Tony Canavan says the rate had started to slowly increase in the three weeks prior to Christmas but has risen sharply over recent days.