New figures seen by RTÉ News have revealed that Beaumont Hospital in Dublin has the largest number of confirmed cases of Covid-19, with 133 patients in the hospital.

It is followed by St James's Hospital, which has 95 cases, and the Mater with 87, both in Dublin.

Outside of the capital, Cavan General is caring for 34 cases and University Hospital Limerick has 33.

The figures are contained in an internal Health Service Executive report for key staff.

It reveals that nationally there are 473 suspected cases of Covid-19 in hospitals awaiting test results, with the largest number at Tallaght University Hospital, where there are 23 such patients.

The report shows there are 2,450 vacant general beds in public hospitals.

There are 130 vacant critical care beds.

The National Public Health Emergency Team will meet today to discuss the current approach to dealing with the coronavirus.

It is also due to consider how childcare supports can be provided safely for healthcare staff and will advise the Government on this.

Figures show that 169 patients have been admitted to intensive care units with the virus to date.

The latest data is that 33 people have recovered from ICU.

There have been 174 deaths from the virus in the Republic of Ireland and 5,364 confirmed cases.

The median age of deaths here is 81.

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A consultant in Infectious Diseases at Beaumont said things are very busy but the hospital is not at capacity yet. 

Dr Eoghan de Barra said there is a surge plan in place but they are not yet at the top phase of it.

However, he said, it is unprecedented to have 17 patients with a single disease in intensive care at the same time. 

Speaking on RTÉ's Today with Sean O'Rourke, he said people are recovering from Covid-19 and at least five people have left ICU and three have returned home. 

Meanwhile, two rapid-build 24 single room occupancy units are being built in Limerick.

The units will be constructed at the acute hospital and at the orthopaedic hospital in Croom.

They are expected to be completed by July. 

Both projects will be permanent structures with scope for expansion vertically at a later stage.

They allow for faster construction, including that the ensuite bathrooms can be constructed off-site and moved to the hospital as completed pods for installation. It means there are fewer truck movements to and from the hospital during construction.

They are being built due to shortages of single rooms in both hospitals, which are needed for Covid-19 patients. 

Figures released to RTÉ today show that Limerick's hospital is caring for 33 Covid-19 patients, the fifth most in the country. 

Works are also ongoing at University Hospital Limerick to enhance oxygen storage supply and flowrates to meet the anticipated additional requirement.

Two further construction projects at the UL hospital complex are also ongoing outside of the Covid-19 builds.

A 14-bed block is due to be completed by June, and a much-anticipated 60-bed block, being built to relieve chronic overcrowding at the hospital, is due to be finished by September and open to patients by the end of this year.

Tánaiste and Minister for Foreign Affairs Simon Coveney has said that the public has responded "in an inspirational way" to the restrictions and guidelines imposed during the Covid-19 emergency.

He said the Government has an "emergency to manage so our job is to make sure we do everything we possibly can to minimise the number of people who die from Covid-19 in Ireland".

Speaking on the same programme, Mr Coveney said Ireland will be a different place after dealing with Covid-19, with a changed role of the community and the State's relationship with private business.

He said that with 730,000 people without a job today we "have to find a way not to isolate people and disadvantage them in the rising tide" that would begin later in the summer.

He said that "so many families have been scarred by this and so many people will need to get back to work".

Additional reporting by Cathy Halloran