Relaxation of Restrictions, Part VIII *Read OP For Mod Warnings*

Ashleigh1986

We really are paying the price for extremely poor leadership in our country at the moment .
True leaders come to the fore in difficult times .
Look back on history .... The great leaders have proven their worth when their country needs them the most .
10 months into this are we in a better place ?
The mixed messages from day one has been extremely confusing .
Regarding leadership we really have reaped what we have sowed .
There's no doubt in my mind that we as a country are in for a few years of pain and most of it will be down to poor leadership .

Ray Donovan

acequion wrote: »

And you know that just how???

Because maybe it won't. Cases are falling and like in every surge they will eventually fall off. Vaccines are here and more are on the way.

Would it kill people to be even the tiniest bit optimistic! Or is doom and gloom a feature of the Irish DNA

Well its all we’ve been fed by every single media outlet for the last 10 months. So by the power of osmosis.....

Kunta Kinte

Deleted User wrote: »

I’m in A+E in one of Dublins hospitals right now. I’d rather not say which one, at least until I’m gone. And it’s nothing life threatening or majorly serious.

the time from check in to triage was less than 10 minutes!!!

Time from triage to seeing a doctor was less than 20 minutes!!

This hospital is dead. And the doctor admitted it. He said they are able to do all kinds of tests today because they are so quiet.

While ICU may be busy, it’s definitely fair to say that hospitals in general are dead.

Well you are long out of the hospital now so you should have no issue naming it so that others can check out if there is any iota of truth to your story.

Itsaduck1

Boggles wrote: »

Doesn't look like we are.



Would love to see a break down of how essential those 33,000 journeys are.

Wonder how it compares to NZ and AUS?

33,000 on it's own is hard to gauge

Silentcorner

Ashleigh1986 wrote: »

We really are paying the price for extremely poor leadership in our country at the moment .
True leaders come to the fore in difficult times .
Look back on history .... The great leaders have proven their worth when their country needs them the most .
10 months into this are we in a better place ?
The mixed messages from day one has been extremely confusing .
Regarding leadership we really have reaped what we have sowed .
There's no doubt in my mind that we as a country are in for a few years of pain and most of it will be down to poor leadership .

I think it is a point nobody mentions enough.

Politically, our two main parties that have dominated Irish politics since the foundation of the state have just had poor elections just last year.

During the prolonged period without a Government, leaders were happy to hand the reigns to Houlihan, who it is abundantly clear has a taste for the public light and an ego to match.

Varadker tried to cross Houlihan and got burned back in Oct, the fact that this was public should be a concern to all of us...one is an elected leader and the other is a health bureaucrat with a fairly blotted past.

This couldn't have happened at a worse time for us, politically speaking.

JRant

acequion wrote: »

And you know that just how???

Because maybe it won't. Cases are falling and like in every surge they will eventually fall off. Vaccines are here and more are on the way.

Would it kill people to be even the tiniest bit optimistic! Or is doom and gloom a feature of the Irish DNA

All the rhetoric points towards it being late March before they lift restrictions in any meaningful way. Add in the previous track record and there's no way we are coming out of this any time soon.

I wish this wasn't the case but there's no point in thinking otherwise. It just isn't going to happen.

Juwwi

Kunta Kinte wrote: »

Well you are long out of the hospital now so you should have no issue naming it so that others can check out if there is any iota of truth to your story.

GazzaL was also in many A&E's during first lockdown and saw the same so you never know :pac:

JRant

Kunta Kinte wrote: »

Well you are long out of the hospital now so you should have no issue naming it so that others can check out if there is any iota of truth to your story.

So just pop in for an aul look-see and chat with the staff?

Dickie10

tune into Late Late show that will cheer us al up. mmmm

Windmill100000

Kunta Kinte wrote: »

Well you are long out of the hospital now so you should have no issue naming it so that others can check out if there is any iota of truth to your story.

Looking at the main covid thread, the hospital with the most available beds at 8am this morning was Beaumont with 87 beds available. As there are 820 beds in Beaumont it is far from dead.

Other hospitals:
Connolly 19 available beds of 407 beds
CUH 28 beds available of 800
Tallaght 12 beds of 562
Mater 20 beds of 323
St Luke's Kilkenny 2 beds of 300
Cavan has no available beds

Silentcorner

Windmill100000 wrote: »

Looking at the main covid thread, the hospital with the most available beds at 8am this morning was Beaumont with 87 beds available. As there are 820 beds in Beaumont it is far from dead.

Other hospitals:
Connolly 19 available beds of 407 beds
CUH 28 beds available of 800
Tallaght 12 beds of 562
Mater 20 beds of 323
St Luke's Kilkenny 2 beds of 300
Cavan has no available beds

How does that compare to last year? Every year like clockwork we have a trolly crisis that most people in the Health System don't seem to care about.

I think it is perfectly plausible that A & E are having a very quiet time, doesn't mean the hospital is dead from top to bottom.

Kunta Kinte

Kunta Kinte wrote: »

Well you are long out of the hospital now so you should have no issue naming it so that others can check out if there is any iota of truth to your story.

I was in Connolly hospital in Blanch. The place was dead. I got into triage in under 10 mins. Another 10 mins and I was seeing a doctor. I got x rays and didn’t have to wait as there was nobody waiting on one. The shop was empty in the hospital. The car park was under 50% full. The doctor told me they had time to test everything as it’s so quiet.

A woman did tell me that the colonoscopy department is closed though. So possibly some areas are affected.

I’m not sure how you are going to check? Will you phone the hospital and ask? Or drop in for a look around?

CruelSummer

JRant wrote: »

All the rhetoric points towards it being late March before they lift restrictions in any meaningful way. Add in the previous track record and there's no way we are coming out of this any time soon.

I wish this wasn't the case but there's no point in thinking otherwise. It just isn't going to happen.

I’ve come to the conclusion Irish people are a bit obsessed with misery. There was something to that character Mrs Doyle in Father Ted.
The situation is serious. But the good news is, 99% of people will survive. Some might have long Covid. And the vaccines would be a great help. But if the Matt Hancock Webinar rumours are true & the vaccines are 50% less effective against the South African strain - close borders now and adapt the vaccines.
We need an end goal to lockdowns. Not never ending doom and gloom. And Gardai - stop fining people going up mountains for some much needed relief. It’s ridiculous.

acequion

JRant wrote: »

All the rhetoric points towards it being late March before they lift restrictions in any meaningful way. Add in the previous track record and there's no way we are coming out of this any time soon.

I wish this wasn't the case but there's no point in thinking otherwise. It just isn't going to happen.

Your username suits you. Rant away with your negativity. Personally, I prefer to have hope.

Windmill100000

Silentcorner wrote: »

How does that compare to last year? Every year like clockwork we have a trolly crisis that most people in the Health System don't seem to care about.

I think it is perfectly plausible that A & E are having a very quiet time, doesn't mean the hospital is dead from top to bottom.

I think to a degree fear is keeping people from hospitals. An empty A&E is no indication of an empty hospital. Frankly, A&E doctors would have little knowledge of bed availability in a hospital. It is not in their remit to place patients on a ward, that falls under the remit of the bed manager on that day who is solely responsible for monitoring bed availability on all wards and allocating patients to them.

Not sure what numbers were last year, although I am sure you could probably do a search. I was merely pointing out that hospitals are far from dead at the moment and claiming they are on the words of one A&E doctor (in an unknown hospital) is mere speculation.

risteard7

risteard7 wrote: »

That has been the case all year but unfortunately people just dont want to believe or hear it. You are better off just agreeing and saying yeah it's crazy, queues out the door.

I've actually spoke to friends who point blank refuse to believe it's quiet, so now I just say yeah it's mental.

I know, so bizarre.

People have this image built up that ambulances are queueing down the street with Covid patients and Heathcare workers are run off their feet.

I saw nurses standing and doctors standing around laughing and joking. Sure why not enjoy the quiet!

SusieBlue

I think a lot of people are just numb to it now, I know I am.
Personally I have no opinion as to how the next few months will pan out, because I go from thinking there is no way they can continue with heavy restrictions till September and into next year, to remembering sniggering at people early last summer calling for Christmas to be cancelled, thinking it was absolutely ridiculous, only for that to come very very close to actually happening.

I try to be optimistic and think we as a country can’t financially, mentally, or socially afford to sustain another 6/9 months of heavy restrictions and yo-yoing in and out of lockdowns, but then I hear Leo say that whenever this lockdown is lifted, it will be a very slow and gradual reopening like lockdown round #1.
That roadmap was over 3 months long.
So even if they lift this lockdown after paddy’s day, which is extremely optimistic & probably unrealistic, that means it will take until mid June to get back to level 3.5 or whatever it was, which still isn’t even close to normal.
And that’s only conditional to everything going to plan and the vaccine being rolled out competently, which I have little to no faith in.

And sitting here alone on a cold, wet January night, after spending yet another entire week in my own company, that seems really far away and is a really depressing notion.
It’s very hard to reconcile another 6 to 9 months of my life passing me by with very little I can do or control about it.

Any time there is any bit of hope or optimism the media, Tony and the government are quick to quash it with warnings about new variants and strains, the effectiveness of the vaccine on these variants, hospitals near collapse, and sowing the seeds for another year of this madness.

It’s hard to know what’s real and what isn’t real any more cause logically it’s very hard to believe that a year in, we’re in exactly the same position we were in last year with nothing to show for it.

12 months later they still refuse to give hard and clear indicators as to what we need to achieve to reopen, just constant finger wagging with vague comments about how we ‘need to do better’ and ‘double down on our efforts’. Like what does that even mean?
During the summer less than 10 cases and 0 deaths per day wasn’t good enough, so who knows what it will take this time.
They are quick to throw around statistics and figures when it suits their lockdown narrative but very shy to give them when it comes to giving specific targets to what we need to get the numbers down to.
Hence I have no idea if this will all end in March/April, or if I’ll be sitting here next January still posting on threads like these.
We are stuck in limbo and there is absolutely no end in sight.

TimeToShine

Great post SusieBlue, you'd be amazed how many people are in a similar situation. I try not to take sides in this debate but your post summarised my feelings perfectly.

Windmill100000

[Deleted User] wrote: »

I know, so bizarre.

People have this image built up that ambulances are queueing down the street with Covid patients and Heathcare workers are run off their feet.

I saw nurses standing and doctors standing around laughing and joking. Sure why not enjoy the quiet!

0f 407 beds in Connolly, 388 had people in them. I suppose because you didnt see them then they arent there.

With no visitors allowed, would you expect a full car park?

Not that it really matters what you saw or didn't, it has no bearing on us getting out of lockdown any time soon.

Oscar Bravo

@susieBlue,great post! thanks for taking the time to write it.

Windmill100000

SusieBlue wrote: »

I think a lot of people are just numb to it now, I know I am.
Personally I have no opinion as to how the next few months will pan out, because I go from thinking there is no way they can continue with heavy restrictions till September and into next year, to remembering sniggering at people early last summer calling for Christmas to be cancelled, thinking it was absolutely ridiculous, only for that to come very very close to actually happening.

I try to be optimistic and think we as a country can’t financially, mentally, or socially afford to sustain another 6/9 months of heavy restrictions and yo-yoing in and out of lockdowns, but then I hear Leo say that whenever this lockdown is lifted, it will be a very slow and gradual reopening like lockdown round #1.
That roadmap was over 3 months long.
So even if they lift this lockdown after paddy’s day, which is extremely optimistic & probably unrealistic, that means it will take until mid June to get back to level 3.5 or whatever it was, which still isn’t even close to normal.
And that’s only conditional to everything going to plan and the vaccine being rolled out competently, which I have little to no faith in.

And sitting here alone on a cold, wet January night, after spending yet another entire week in my own company, that seems really far away and is a really depressing notion.
It’s very hard to reconcile another 6 to 9 months of my life passing me by with very little I can do or control about it.

Any time there is any bit of hope or optimism the media, Tony and the government are quick to quash it with warnings about new variants and strains, the effectiveness of the vaccine on these variants, hospitals near collapse, and sowing the seeds for another year of this madness.

It’s hard to know what’s real and what isn’t real any more cause logically it’s very hard to believe that a year in, we’re in exactly the same position we were in last year with nothing to show for it.

12 months later they still refuse to give hard and clear indicators as to what we need to achieve to reopen, just constant finger wagging with vague comments about how we ‘need to do better’ and ‘double down on our efforts’. Like what does that even mean?
During the summer less than 10 cases and 0 deaths per day wasn’t good enough, so who knows what it will take this time.
They are quick to throw around statistics and figures when it suits their lockdown narrative but very shy to give them when it comes to giving specific targets to what we need to get the numbers down to.
Hence I have no idea if this will all end in March/April, or if I’ll be sitting here next January still posting on threads like these.
We are stuck in limbo and there is absolutely no end in sight.

Your situation sounds really difficult. I agree re the limbo. It's a waiting game and everyone is struggling on some level, some much more than others.

I think whether people agree with restrictions or not we are all united that the past year has been truly horrific and with case numbers high it is unlikely anything will be opening up any time soon.

FintanMcluskey

Windmill100000 wrote: »

0f 407 beds in Connolly, 388 had people in them. I suppose because you didnt see them then they arent there.

With no visitors allowed, would you expect a full car park?

Not that it really matters what you saw or didn't, it has no bearing on us getting out of lockdown any time soon.

That’s surely lower numbers than most January’s that have gone before?

But of course only for stay at home orders and business closures it would be similar to a normal January day

Arghus

Ginger n Lemon wrote: »

Did hospitals become empty overnight? Or are the NPHET briefings Arghus is tuning in to daily (which is concerning in itself lol) are full of crap?

Boggles - I ll beat you to it.

Hospitals certainly aren't empty.

There's 28 available ICU beds in the entire country at the moment. 12 ICU's have none whatsoever, including my local hospital. And there's just under 1900 people currently in hospital with Covid.
And there's other things happening to indicate a system under immense strain - widespread cancellation of elective procedures, huge staff absenses.

All of this information is factual and readily available.

One guy's anecdotal report of being in a quiet A and E doesn't prove much. It' s not incredibly surprising that some A and E's could be quiet considering most people aren't going near hospital at the moment.

And the briefings are twice a week, not daily.

Juwwi

Deleted User wrote: »

I know, so bizarre.

People have this image built up that ambulances are queueing down the street with Covid patients and Heathcare workers are run off their feet.

I saw nurses standing and doctors standing around laughing and joking. Sure why not enjoy the quiet!

Did you think of telling these nurses and doctors standing around laughing that the reason the ICU beds are filling up is because they are putting people in them that don't need ICU care by any chance ?

Windmill100000

Windmill100000 wrote: »

0f 407 beds in Connolly, 388 had people in them. I suppose because you didnt see them then they arent there.

With no visitors allowed, would you expect a full car park?

Not that it really matters what you saw or didn't, it has no bearing on us getting out of lockdown any time soon.

Feel free to attend Connolly A+E if you want, it is dead.
If you need an x ray or a scan, it will be done in no time. Blood tests and results as well. The corridors and shop are empty. The doctors and nurses were laughing and joking and in great form.

Maybe it’s different on the wards, I wasn’t admitted.

And frankly, I couldn’t give a f*ck what people choose to believe anyways. I could post video footage and some people would still doubt it.

Windmill100000

FintanMcluskey wrote: »

That’s surely lower numbers than most January’s that have gone before?

But of course only for stay at home orders and business closures it would be similar to a normal January day

I'm not sure what average January figures are, but am sure a search could reveal that, maybe the HSE site has that info although I am not sure. I think the issue is more the critical care beds in several hospitals being at capacity or close to it than general beds.

Dickie10

I wonder how many people genuinely believe we will be in exactly this place this time next year. Imagine if we were....

Tork

You said it yourself. You weren't anywhere near the wards so you haven't got a clue that is going on in there. That's like me talking about visiting my doctor who shares a practice with a dentist. I saw no dental patients in the place so therefore there is no dentistry work going on.

Juwwi

Juwwi wrote: »

Did you think of telling these nurses and doctors standing around laughing that the reason the ICU beds are filling up is because they are putting people in them that don't need ICU care by any chance ?

Another poster that seems salty because my experience in a hospital is not equal to the media depiction of ambulances queuing down the street with healthcare workers about to pass out from stress.

Believe what you want.

Juwwi

Dickie10 wrote: »

I wonder how many people genuinely believe we will be in exactly this place this time next year. Imagine if we were....

Hopefully not or there will be redundancies in Connolly Hospital for doctors and nurses who aren't needed