Portlaoise hospital switches to 'surge' mode in response to Covid-19 wave First wave plan reactivated '); Staff at Portlaoise hospital have reverted to a 'surge' system in the face of the Covid-19 third wave which has driven up admissions to the hospital and its intensive care unit. As the hospital faces unprecedented pressure due to the Christmas New Year spread, it has had to reconfigure to ensure it can provide potentially life-saving care. Part of this has this has seen the hospital expand its critical care capacity. Management has confirmed that this means reverting to a system set up in 2020 when the pandemic first hit.