A further 1,358 COVID cases have been announced this evening.

This morning there were 400 coronavirus patients in Irish hospitals – the highest figure since March.

There were 75 in intensive care, which is up 11 on this day last week.

The five-day moving average has increased to 1,578.

The five-day moving average. Image: Newstalk

It comes after the HSE Chief Clinical Officer Dr Colm Henry told The Pat Kenny Show officials were considering a 'no jab, no job' policy in the health service.

The measure has been announced in New Zealand where doctors, nurses and other frontline healthcare workers must be vaccinated against COVID-19.

He said it was "more or less inevitable" that unvaccinated people will get infected with COVID-19.

He suggested the Delta variant means people are unlikely to be able to "hide behind the vaccinated majority".

Meanwhile, the HSE chief Paul Reid told Newstalk Breakfast that the winter months will be "difficult" for the health service.

He said many healthcare workers are exhausted "after four waves of COVID and a cyberattack", while hospitals have also seen a rise in the number of COVID patients over the last week or so.

However, he said measures are being put in place to support the hospital system during the winter.