Additional reporting from Aoife Kearns
There are currently 59 Covid patients on-site at University Hospital Waterford - the highest that figure has been in a number of months.
18 additional patients with Covid are being treated at UHW in the past 24 hours alone with the local hospital recording among the highest daily increases in the country alongside Cork University Hospital and St. James'.
It comes as the government says it has 'absolutely no plans' to re-introduce any new restrictions, despite the number of Covid patients in public hospitals continuing to increase.
There are an additional 1,000 people being treated in the country's hospitals since mandatory mask-wearing ended, and as of last night, 1,547 people with Covid-19 were being treated in hospitals nationally.
But Minister for State Niall Collins reiterated that restrictions will not be reintroduced, and said Covid is behind us.
"The government has absolutely no plans to reintroduce any legislation or any regulation to reintroduce public health measures.
"There is clear public health guidance and advice that masks should be worn in a number of public settings, on public transport and in crowded public areas.
"This is guidance and it is not mandatory," the Fianna Fáil Junior Minister said.
Earlier this week, the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation called for the return of mask mandates while yesterday the HSE reported that 6,000 healthcare staff are currently absent from work due to Covid.
