Face to face outpatient clinics at Mayo University Hospital are being deferred for the next 2 weeks.
The hospital is reverting to virtual outpatient clinics only, and most elective procedures at the Castlebar hospital have also been deferred - apart from time-critical procedures and cancer cases, which are still going ahead.
Patients are being notified directly of such cancellations.
The deferrals will be for a 2-week period initially, and will be kept under review.
General manager of Mayo University Hospital Catherine Donohue says she regrets the impact these deferrals will have on patients, but it's an important part of maintaining critical and emergency services.
There are currently 50 Covid-positive patients being treated at the hospital, and rising numbers of the virus in the community are likely to lead to further hospitalisations.
