The head of the HSE says hospitals are under "severe pressure" with around 20 percent of Covid patients in ICU.
The executive is using private hospitals to increase capacity by around 2,800 to 3,000 beds per week.
There are 611 people with the virus in hospital and 118 in intensive care - with just 17 adult ICU beds available nationwide.
Paul Reid says urgent non-covid care will be provided in private hospitals.
"Over the next 14 days try to keep an urgent care on covid care
obviously urgent care like cancer care and caridio care and that's where the capacity of the private hospitals is giving and will give us some relief
we do jave to take immediate and urgent care and some of hat revolves around prioritising urgent elective care
