Regional Hospital Mullingar has asked people with non-emergency illness not to attend the hospital due to a high number of admissions.
The hospital's management has said that it is experiencing increasing numbers of people requiring admission at this time.
In a statement, management is asking patients with non-emergency conditions to seek assistance from other parts of the health service such as their local pharmacist, GP, or a GP out of hours service.
However the hospital said that any patient who needs emergency hospital care will be seen.
Management also said that patients who are presenting at the emergency department with non-urgent conditions are experiencing very long waiting times to be seen.
Visiting restrictions are in place the hospital due to the high numbers of respiratory infections circulating in the community.
Patients can have only one visitor at a time, the hospital said.
