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TAYTO PARK THIS week confirmed that it would be rebranding as Emerald Park at the start of the coming year, marking the end of an era for the theme park which has been dominated for over a decade by the looming figure of Mr Tayto.
While outside observers might find it odd that Ireland’s one and only permanent theme park was built around a cult of personality dedicated to a half-man half-crisp potato hybrid, a less cynical commentator might simply appreciate Ireland’s close bond with its crisps.
While it is impossible to say who is right or who is wrong, Ireland’s intense crisp culture is undeniable. That is why we expect all of you to score very highly on this unique crisp quiz.
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A computer legacy system is unable to log over 3000 cases ? What are they using an Atari system ? That’s the first BS for 2021. Jokers
@Simon F: Spectrum ZX I’d say.
@Simon F: maybe its more a resource issue….the amount of time it takes to load 3000 cases a day. And well done with the first whinge of 2021.
@Paul Furey: And well done to you for carrying your smart quip predictability into the new year.
@Paul Furey: and well done to you for the first b i t c h y remark
@Paul Furey: Cop on Paul, what the hell are they blaming a “legacy computer” in a time of a world crisis. No excuse for using outdated computers to log 3000 patient cases. Pathetic excuse, we’re not a 3rd world country with no computers.
@Paul Furey: ? Exactly. it is resource issue. They are apparently using below par resources. That’s my point.
@Keith Synnott: nope your all wrong. It’s Commodore 64. The tape can only handle so much.
@Simon F: Commodore Amiga 500 plus
@Hup Abù: I’ll 2nd that.
@Simon F: a notebook could log 3,000 cases a day
@Simon F: the same incompatible with recent cervical testing? Someone is manipulating info and stats. We are not a first world country. We are a lying one, with a smugness problem.
@Paul Furey: It IS a resource issue–the computer system is outdated and apparently cannot handle very small volumes of data.
@Hup Abù: wrong again mr anonymous. I just challenge the whingers.
@JedBartlett: He never fails.
@Paul Furey: The most challenging thing about your posts is actually reading them. You confuse challenging for sneering
@Jim Lingk: maybr a naive question, but here are all these IT companies… can’t they give a helping hand?
@Simon F: I wonder what was the extra billions to prepare for the surge actually used for? Surely one of the first things looked at would be IT capacity! Same last week when the word database was being bandied around with regards to the delay in delivering vaccines.
15000 referrals a day is 105000 per week, isn’t that supposed to be our minimum capacity for testing?
@Monika Rumpf: It is a good question.
@Monika Rumpf: The HSE and the government have IT contractors employed all the time.
Last time I was looking there was on average 10-20k tests per day. Presuming all of these need to stored in a system or database. This is not a large volume of data.
So either the computer system is ANCIENT, or they are storing this stuff on spreadsheets, or the inputting process is very manual, or a combination of all of these things.
This is not about ‘giving a hand”. This should have been planned for 6-9 months ago.
@Jim Lingk: And I should say this is not a problem that requires the best of the best IT /engineering minds. It’s basic stuff.
@Jim Lingk:
Your right; public health system
Spreadsheets, paper, manual input and older processing systems piggybacking on other more integrated “national” systems such as ambulance service or GP systems
- this is why they are going on strike
Most hse hospitals use windows 7 (from 2011), and most hospital servers are insufficient to handle large amounts of access points or data (ie computers, so we lack those also), prone to security issues, crash a lot
@Simon F: Exactly. Either it is an excuse to cover-up for something else, or they need to fire the IT team which is in charge of this system with immediate effect.
@Contrary Mary: That’s not nice, speaking about Martin and Leo like that.
@Anon.me: (Michael.)
@Contrary Mary: That’s not nice, speaking about Michael and Leo like that.
@Keith Synnott: commodore 64 maybe
Having lock downs with open borders makes fóóls out of us all.
@Daniel Dunne: there isn’t rampant community transmission because of flights.
@Jarlath Coady: There is. It came by plane from Wuhan.
@Jarlath Coady: I’m sorry to burst your bubble but you’re incorrect . In December there had been about 130,000 inbound passengers travelling through Dublin airport ( check the airport data, it’s on their website). The UK strain which is 70% more varilant was brought here . People then had been out and mixing, most not adhering to guidelines which led to the virus spreading like wildfire .
@Jarlath Coady: Did the Spanish strain (responsible for 60% of infections August-October) happen to fcuking swim here?
@Daniel Dunne: No, but how did it spread when it got here. By the way, I do agree there should be severe restrictions on international travel when there are severe restrictions on domestic travel
@Thomas O’ Donnell: This is the third major lockdown while international travel is allowed with very little restriction and fook all follow up on visitors.
This is a-kin to installing a state-of-the-art locking system for your front door to keep burglars out, but leaving the back-door not just unlocked, but wide fupin open.
@Thomas O’ Donnell: Also, for the record: 1.3 million passengers passed through Irish airports between July and September.
https://www.cso.ie/en/releasesandpublications/er/as/aviationstatisticsquarter32020/
To think that they now cannot contract trace 2,000 Covid confirmed cases (avg 6 close contacts) resulting in 12,000 phone calls, how on earth are they supposed to have a clue where those 1.3m passengers are rambling?
@Conor Heffernan: and London too
@Jarlath Coady: The new strain, which is an element of the rise in community spread, was brought into the country with flights being a major means of transfer.
Look at Australia, New Zealand, Canada, etc., who put in simple international travel measures to control that element of the transfer, why Ireland doesn’t do the same is absolute madness – simple measure such as having a negative PCR test within 48 hours of travel or you can’t enter is all that’s needed
Would the top of the HSE pay roll not mention that every year hospitals are packed and there would be up to 800 people on trolleys alone at this time of year. Hundreds do be sick with flu and pneumonia . New virus or not , Chaos is the normal in the HSE.
@Michael Maher: Absolutely right Michael. Elderly people in A&E that don’t even get a trolley but sit in chairs while being treated and waiting on their consultant. I witness this everyday in Dublin and its shameful. Nurses writing their notes outside toilet cubicles because there is no desk or space for them in frantic a&e department. Disgraceful situation thats been ignored by continuous changes of government.
@Denise Daly: And the cancer scandal of which people are dying because of repetitive negligence at the top.
@Denise Daly: The change that you and most of the population desire will only happen by the people, no Government or minister will make the change, their political careers would be over, the culture and the power of the unions needs to change, the pay packets and pensions are far more important than people health.
@conriel: anyone who believes that a change of government, even a Sinn Fein one, would have any effect on the monolithic HSE and it’s embedded special interest groups is totally delusional. The system has evolved from a voluntary religious charity basis so they actually don’t own most of the hospitals but pay the staff. Procurement is a mix of central and local. IT is a distributed mess of old health board and newer centralised systems. Consultant , nursing and other staff unions controlling work practices that ensure maximum employment at the cost of effeciency.
We need to start from scratch.
@Michael Maher: meanwhile the regular flu has disappeared!!!?
When they swap for covid they should also test for regular flu and colds and I think you will see a far more balanced picture and the numbers are not nearly as dramatic.
People are being advised to get tested if they have symptoms which are very difficult to differentiate between cold,flu and covid .
@Dannys Dentures: but they only get a positive result and are counted in the numbers when they have covid. Testing for the flu wouldn’t reduce covid numbers.
@Dannys Dentures: Yes Danny, the season flu is all but absent for very good reasons.
It originates annually in Asia and it’s transmission there was hampered by their Covid protocols as masks and social distancing will damage a viruses ability to spread.
Then it travels globally via flights as people bring it around the place…and flights have been mainly absent this year so that has also hampered the flu’s ability to transmit.
Covid tests are only detecting Covid, not flu.
Stop trying to muddy the waters here and confuse the ignorant.
@Fozz: the headline is 15,000 a day being referred for testing which is sensationalist. My point is with the symptoms being so close to cold and flu surely a large proportion of these are just that and the public needs balanced reporting.
So we’ll have 25000 vaccinated by next week. Israel with a population of 9million will have over 1million done. See that’s how you roll out a vaccine.
@Eoin Scanlon: You’d almost forget Israel isn’t in the EU.
@Eoin Scanlon: Lets not pretend Israel is an ordinary state or one noted for any kind of ethical behaviour.
I don’t know how they got so much of the supply so quickly but I doubt its by a means acceptable to most other countries.
@Eoin Scanlon: yes Netanyahu doing all he possibly can with an election coming up in a couple of months. The Palestinians in the occupied territories won’t receive any vaccinations until mid 2021 apparently.
@Rochelle: You’re correct..it’s not normal..not in the Middle East anyway given it’s the only democratically functioning State in that whole region.
@Eoin Scanlon: don’t forget they brought all year drinking water 24/7 to a desert land were it only rains in the winter within 20 years of it’s state being founded…
We can’t even buy a printer that’ll fit into the room it’s designated for – what do you expect?
@Eddie: Excellent! Hats off mate.
@Eddie: amazing what can be achieved if you’re in receipt of $billions in state aid annually from the US. It’s really ironic that while Israeli citizens enjoy high quality universal healthcare and subsidised university and college education, American taxpayers are saddled with massive student debts on graduation and tens of thousands go bankrupt each year due to astronomical healthcare costs.
They can’t track and trace, don’t know how many are vaccinated, can’t process case data…
That will be a long 2021.
@Vanessa: except they do know how many are vaccinated.
@Vanessa: did they state this? Where’s the link?
@GrumpyAulFella: I think the whole thing is completely and utterly and totally out of control. They will start to drip feed this fact to the population over the next few days.
@David Corrigan: I find it very hard to believe that they don’t know how many have been vaccinated. Track and trace will become impossible as the R rate leaps up and the spread gets our of control. That’s why countries like Sweden left track and trace down to the individuals who tested positive.
@GrumpyAulFella: I agree. This is going to be a very bad and tough month I believe.
The fear mongering is absolutely rampant
@Kieran Hayes: I know 11 people in the last 5 days confirmed to have covid and they are living in different parts of the country. So what do you mean by fear mongering?
@Kieran Hayes: Please explain. Short comment with no facts or sources is dismissable. Real fact and data showing the spread of infection. Have you not met or encountered anyone sick with it yet??
@Kieran Hayes: Your 100% right Kieran, all the numbers are made up and people aren’t dying either. Good man.
@Kieran Hayes: that’s what some people who are scared say, to try diminish their own fear. It’s ok to be scared, Kieran. We all are.
@Rob Gale: I’m living in my Covid bunker sure….lol
@Kieran Hayes: 100% agree. Chatting to mates last night and we don’t know anybody who has died of covid and only a couple who got it but only had miles symptoms. They share is with stats like we will have 2k hospital admissions but then when that doesn’t materialise they will pat themselves on the back and say it was not as bad due to level 5 restrictions. Most people who test positive won’t need hospitalisation. The now vulnerable in society need to take extra precautions bit no need for full lockdown.
@Sal Paradise: did your friends discuss a plan for other ailments that need treating in the hospital when the hospitals are overrun with covid patients? Or who gets a ventilator when they are all full??
@Sarah Cullen: Do you want a lockdown every year considering the numbers that die during flu season? Or do you not care about them? We don’t need a lockdown. The numbers, of you bothered looking beyond what they media feeds you, does not warrant a lockdown.
@Sarah Cullen: “When the hospitals get overrun” OMG That has been spouted for 9 months yet still hasn’t happened
@Kieran Hayes: We had a pandemic in march. We are not currently in a pandemic. Not sure why people can’t see this.
@Sal Paradise: I have no words to reply to you. The level of ignorance is shocking. I don’t go by the media I go by medical journals. Not sure where you got that I want a lockdown every year for the flu or that I don’t care about the flu or whatever rant you are on there. We are in a pandemic. If they do not control the virus on the community the hospitals which are not fit for purpose will become overrun. They are all facts not opinions unlike the content of your call with your friends.
@Sarah Cullen: We are not in a pandemic. We were in a pandemic. So because I am willing to question things and not go along with the current mainstream thinking therefore I’m ignorant? Check out some of what Ivor Cummins is reporting on this as a starting point and come back to me.
@Sarah Cullen: I mistakenly assumed you were in favour of annual lockdowns as every year our health system is overwhelmed so the solution is lockdowns based on the current argument?
This ‘meaningful Christmas’ for peoples mental health has put the numbers in the thousands and no doubt made mental health worse!
@Munster1: Too right:
1. “The summer is not lost” [before we reached zero cases]
2. “We can now have a meaningful Christmas” [despite 200+ cases a day]
@Munster1: Many people continue to ignore advice. Travelling home for xmas putting vulnerable people at risk.
Its one day there will be plenty more..
@Munster1: yeah you’d have to think alright. I think some people confused “meaningful” with “normal”. They’re not the same thing but only the CMO and others like him made enough of an effort to make that distinction. I don’t think government did.
@David Clements: I think this should do it …….hopefully now the government will crack down hard. ban all leave for the gardai. close roads. curfew. heavy fines. strict enforcement. 100% compliance. strict lockdown. stay at home orders. ban sale of all alcohol. no-one out of lockdown without a certificate of vaccination and identification. close the ports. close the border. close the schools. fines if mask not worn properly. fines if non-compliance with stay-at-home order.
did I miss anything…?
@Alan Gee: eh ok. You missed the bit where y’know, some balancing with essential freedoms is required but yeah generally a bit more enforcement is needed
@David Clements: who decides what the balance is?
@Alan Gee: It’s all gone out the window Alan. They will have to go all out now and clamp the place down water tight. There is simply no other option now.
@Alan Gee: democratically elected people
@David Corrigan: Eh there are other options. Isolate if you are vulnerable and open up for everybody else. Most non vulnerable people who are get covid won’t need hospitalisation.
Have they tried turning it off and back on again???
Usually works for mine…
@Eddie Michael: Yeah honestly it’s laughable. Legacy computer can’t handle 3000 patient records! Don’t make me laugh!
Your very grateful for the help private hospitals have given, is he joking, we the public through our taxes paid millions to these so called generous hospitals so please don’t make out they are doing us all a favour!
@Sommer Church: they didn’t have to do anything!
@Sommer Church: you mean when the HSE commandeered them for 3 months at cost? When they left them and their staff idle, without any plan as to how to use them. The private hospitals offered a priority standby deal but the HSE wanted the beds in their back pockets. Turns out they didn’t even fill the public hospital beds.
And yet people still believe that these people can manage this crisis!!
Case numbers are high, but we’re still lower than just about everywhere else. You still have about a 1/1000 chance of even meeting someone who tested positive for Covid 19.
I thought I was probably wrong/unfair thinking that the people on NPHET are mathematically challenged, but now they admit their system can’t handle 3000 entries per day, and they seem to think this is normal. FFS. PHilip Nolan btw, has no background whatsoever in modelling, epidemiology or really medicine, since he’s like Leo, a doctor who never really doctored.
Plug in the fact they can’t even set up a .csv file on one of their iPhones to handle the huge data requirements or 3k entries per day and you really have to wonder whether these people are fit for purpose.
There should be a 10,000 line project plan covering every area of society with actions, milestones and judgements at this stage, not people shouting about a surge of 10%.
@Gerard Carthy: Quite correct. The UK had some other ridiculous issue where they hit the row limit on a SPREADSHEET. That’s right, they were not storing in a database. We now have some system that can’t handle tiny volumes of updates per day. Disgraceful and embarrassing.
@Gerard Carthy: Leo did actually practice for several years and qualify as a GP
@Bountyop: Practicing the game Operation without the buzzer going off does not count.
@Gerard Carthy: Pesky Excel. Frightening incompetence.
@Gerard Carthy: an iPhone would easily handle this. It looks like they are using a 1940s model borrowed from the British war dept.
@Gerard Carthy: you’re only talking about positive tests. A test positivity rate like 13% means we aren’t catching them all – not even close. When NPHET say it’s out of control they mean it. We can’t avoid it without avoiding everyone.
@Jacqui Russell: Over 90% of positive tests are in people who will realistically never require hospitalisation.
Rampant, surging, out of control.
The Netherlands, which last time I checked was a well run functioning society has four times out case numbers and no one in Holland is talking like this. Well maybe the popular press, but certainly not the professionals running things.
@Gerard Carthy: Spot on. This kind of truth doesn’t make good headlines.
@Gerard Carthy: That’s because in the the Netherlands they have a functional health system. And even there they had to send people to Germany because their hospitals were full.
@Bountyop: Yes but if he walks into Vincent’s tomorrow they won’t be putting him in charge of anything
We have to do better
@Paul Somers: you think?!
@Paul Somers: Define “we” – cause all the fuzzy rhetoric that the Irish government and media regularly put out amounts to little more than verbal vomit.
@Paul Somers: I have two stark memories I’ll never forget relating to this pandemic:
1. “The summer is not lost” [before we reached zero cases]
2. “We can now have a meaningful Christmas” [despite 200+ cases a day]
Responsibility starts at the top!
@Spartacus Ireland: responsibility lies with all of us. It’s a sad state do affairs if grown ups cannot or will not heed the messages. That is the big problem.
@Spartacus Ireland: responsibility lies with people. Not the gov. People spread the virus not the gov. The gov only advise us
@Macca Attack: Can’t agree with either of you…people are influenced by messages, absolutely!, hence advertising industry [and banning of cigs and alcohol ads etc.]….messages like “wear a mask”, “keep 2m distance”…AND on the contrary…”The summer is not lost” and “Now have a meaningful Christmas” do influence people’s behaviour for sure and there is responsibility on the advertisers and ‘pushers’ of those messages…
@Daniel Dunne: I’d say your SICK of it so..!!
@Pete Slattery ✏️: your Sarcasm makes you look like a Genius
I don’t get the impression they have any kind of solid supply chain plan at all. 40k doses next week, then what ? They need to show a bit more detail on the roll out plan.
@Mark: if rather they focussed on the actual task than some pr to appease you.
@David Clements: they seem to have enough time and resources to present the nightly doomfest press conference. One extra number being presented shouldn’t tax their PR machine too much.
@David Clements: really PR on a grand scale rather than action is their modus operandi so far….
@Derdaly: they haven’t been nightly for months.
@David Clements: hi Tony happy the schools are closed.
Well if its rampant now and it wasn’t in the summer then should we not be in a proper lockdown down now?Instead of opening sites and schools this week, does it not make sense to add a week or two now Slow it down again, then manage it like we did pre xmas?
@Chris Blake: yes it does make sense to do that. But come hell or high water, they’re opening the schools apparently.
@Chris Blake: Schools are being kept open, not because it’s safe, but because the economy can’t function without them.
25000 vaccines by the end of next week?
Wasn’t it meant to be 40,000 a week?
What happened?
@Cookie: prob the same as what happened to the 100,000 tests per week promised last April(that didn’t materialise until October). Have you not learned by now. It’s mostly just spin
@Cookie: yes – yes – 40,000 but 40,000 vaccines is only good for 20,000 people – remember everyone need two doses… I think the 10,000 was to given to 5,000 (and 5,000 held for round two) and 40,000 to be given to 20,000 (and 20,000 held for round two) – that is the 25,000
Certainly that is what I remember reading – as well as the fact that once they are satisfied with the supply chain and have stared on the second shop for some people they would no longer need to hold reserves for the second shot.
That is what I read and your 25,000 by next week fits those numbers… so I suspect that that is “what happened”.
@John Egan: We conducted 102,600 tests between 21st-27th Dec.
@Niall Ó Cofaigh: I thought a single shot would be given to as many people as possible, and would be then followed up 3 weeks later when subsequent deliveries were made.
That would seem an intelligent approach.
I guess I was probably mistaken.
(I believe health care workers should be prioritized.)
The lies are rampant
@Matthew Whelan: Didn’t see an article on the 4000 under-reported cases in Journal, was in Irishtimes?…https://www.irishtimes.com/news/health/testing-of-close-contacts-ceases-as-covid-cases-under-reported-by-4-000-1.4448146
@Spartacus Ireland: I’ll keep my tinfoil hat on.
@Spartacus Ireland: the hub data source that I have linked to often does show this data
I have been keeping a record for the last week – they are updated at 11am each day.. this is unvalidated data – but available for everyone to see
It never matches the data presented in the evening press briefings, party because some people samples have tests run twice, sometimes people are tested twice, sometimes there is a previous test result, sometimes names to not cross reference (even the odd typo)
The columns are Date (at 11am) and number of tests and number of positive and the percentage and, in brackets, the numbers reported at the press briefing…
22/12 – 13216 – 698 – 5.28% positive ( 970)
23/12 – 20660 – 1077 – 5.21% positive ( 938)
24/12 – 22884 – 1269 – 5.54% positive ( 922)
25/12 – 21270 – 1637 – 7.69% positive (1025)
26/12 – 11995 – 1207 – 10.0% positive (1296)
27/12 – 3536 – 343 – 9.70% positive ( 744)
28/12 – 9177 – 1159 – 12.6% positive ( 756)
29/12 – 13802 – 2007 – 14.5% positive (1546)
30/12 – 17484 – 2867 – 16.3% positive (1718)
31/12 – 26238 – 3363 – 12.8% positive (1620)
This gives 14586 positive test results but just (11535) reported after validation which leaves 3052 as the max number of cases yet to be validated
https://covid-19.geohive.ie/datasets/f6d6332820ca466999dbd852f6ad4d5a_0
We see that on the 22/12 some of the cases reporting in the evening were either carryover from the 21/12 or cases from ater 11am on the 22/12 being processed (this is why it is hard to correlate the Hub data with the evening reports).
Observations… I suspect that the data owners are so far removed from the report producers that the reports are given in good faith but the process from lab to reporting, which would involve several steps, does need to be reviewed. I cannot see why they cannot just publish the raw hub stats as they do for Northern Ireland.. but they want “polished” data.
Also this, and lots more information is available to all and has been, The bigger “mystery” remains on the “admissions and discharges” which people assume are changes in hospital numbers – but they never add up. I have queried the HSE and the Journal on this as I think the “Admissions and discharges” relate to new covid-19 cases in the last 24 hours – e.g. 50 people test positive today and 30 are admitted and 20 discharged to isolate at home.. but that is another story which leads me to believe that the data owner are so far removed from the presenters that inaccurate impressions are created.
Does it matter? At he end of the day the internal part of the HSE should be aware of the figures and work of real facts and not them that are glossed for public consumption – but it would be nice to know – we will see later today
@Niall Ó Cofaigh: Does it matter?….well, I remember listening to a young man living in China and he said they are very precise in their number reporting…and he said that as a result the outbreak was ‘always close’ and people were scared and modified their behaviour…so maybe it matters?
I don’t care what anyone says anymore we are been lied to left right and center
@Margaret Kane: what lies?
@Margaret Kane: stop expecting people to take you seriously when you never ever give us any evidence to back up your claims
Salary for the new Chief Executive of the HSE, Paul Reid, is €350,000 per annum — twice as much as The Minister for Health €173,000.
Chief Executive of NHS England, Simon Stevens earns €235,000.
Source Irish Medical Times (July 2019)
England: 55 million. Republic of Ireland: 4.9 million.
Irish National Debt circa €220 Billion.
Why is it necessary or justified paying a top irish civil servant
a salary of over €100k more than his counterpart in England a country with over 11 times our population.???
Not great news either from uk regarding new variant. Their worst fears of increased transmission seems to be coming through. We really need a proper lockdown til we get this under control. No schools, no building sites. Essential work only.
@seanC: I think it is worth adding that the European version of the virus variant D641G was considered to be 100 times more infectious than the Chinese version and caused the first wave in Europe and spread to the Americas from Europe and replaced the original Chinese virus.
The second wave in Europe was cased by the A20.EU1 variant fount in farm workers in Northern Spain and, although only “imported” into Ireland five times, caused 60% of all second wave cases (about 30,000) and in the UK about 80% of all cases since July. This variant was also reported to be more contagious.
Both these events slipped, by in large, under the media radar but there are articles and research available on line to support what I wrote above.
It was the way this was presented, not by backroom scientists, but by a prime minister introducing new tough measures and killing Christmas for some, that brought the headlines and then “panic”…
Any variant that reproduces more successfully will replace the previous variant. I believe there are about 4,000 variants found to date. This is one reason why comparing one country to another is not comparing like with like as the proportions of each variant can also affect transmission.
I am not a virus expert, just from reading as many sources as I can and trying to understand the numbers and find the SARS-Cov-2 family tree interesting (and the play option allows one see the virus spreading and the variants https://nextstrain.org/ncov/global )
This is not downplaying the seriousness of the virus but rather stressing that the measures we took in the past may not be adequate in the future but we must hope the vaccine works in stopping the spread and also that a variant becomes less damaging to the human body.
I am not sure about closing everything down…. I still believe that if EVERYONE wore masks properly and hand washed and followed the advice re social gatherings etc. we would not need to close everything down. However there are some who will always go against the advice or think this is a hoax or harmless or fail to stay at home when they have symptoms.. and these people’s actions do not help stop the spread of the virus and are more likely to ignore the level 5 restrictions or find a way around them.
One only has to see how the number of close contacts has skyrocketed to understand how we have this problem. However, it is also important for all those close contacts to stay indoors and isolate and not just go about their business just because they are not getting tested.
If we had 15,000 cases in the last 10 days and the close contact average is 6.3 (assuming everyone tells the truth) then we should have over 100,000 people isolating at this time…. and it makes me wonder how many of those 100,000 have ignored isolating over Christmas and the New Year … if only there were an easy solution…but, as I said before, if those 100,000 do not isolate some will be contributing to the disruption etc…. and that is why I believe that enforcement of level 3 would work just as well or even better that level 5 and wishful thinking.
@Niall Ó Cofaigh: Some uk experts saying they are extremely concerned about the variant and what will happen if they don’t get it under control without delay. Paddy Mallon seems to be very concerned also and we have to change our strategy now
@Niall Ó Cofaigh: There seems seems to be huge transmission in the 0-19 age group, surely schools cannot open as this is the case. As we’ve seen before this when it’s a high level in this age group, it will lead to problems in the vulnerable groups. We don’t have a lot of wiggle room in the HSE for mass hospitalisations
@Niall Ó Cofaigh: “I think it is worth adding that the European version of the virus variant D641G was considered to be 100 times more infectious”
That utter rubbish, just think fur a moment and try to realize why you are so wrong.
If the original virus resulted in an infected person infecting 2 other people, you’re claiming one person with the D614G version infects 100 times more people i.e. 200 people. That’s an R0 of 200. That’s a zombie plague!
I’ve already tried to correct you before. The D614G mutation was only 34% more infectious (1.34x not 100x).
I think we should all collectively roll a fat one and pull the duvet over our heads
@John Pog: You go ahead and live in a fog and forget the real world.
@Denise Daly: sorry I being flippant.
It’s new years day .
Have a day off .
This will all be still here tomorrow.
@Denise Daly: he’s only suggesting doing what is recommended… apart from the massive joint…
TO MANY PEN PUSHERS
@Pauline Fedigan: I’m a pen pusher in the HSE. I push my pen 56 hours a week so that sick people can get a slot to see their consultant. I push my pen so that your medical records are at the clinic when you arrive. I push my pen so that you get a letter notifying you of your next appointment. Me and my pen are the front line workers getting covid but are not spoken of because we are not ‘doctors and nurses’. So keep your narrow minded opinion to yourself, c u next tuesday!
@Sonic: Just curious how you are risking Covid. do you and your pen get to see many Covid patients at your desk?
@Steve Ashton: Yes actually Steve, though they present for other appointments, we then refer then for testing. Have you ever been to a Hospital Outpatient department? It’s a very busy place full of unwell people.
@Sonic: I’m like you, I do the same and we get zero acknowledgement.
@Steve Ashton: I’m also a pen pusher in a hospital. In a department that has zero patient contact. I contracted Covid. At work. Because even if we don’t have patient contact, we have contact with other staff members who do. Are you simple?
@Sonic: in that case, your not a pen pusher, your a frontline worker with admin duties. A pen pusher is someone who rides a desk (like Tony Holohan) and that’s all they do. They don’t deal with people (be they patients or customers, etc.)
@Steve Ashton: no call for that. Admin staff mix with us medics daily. And ferry files around. So they are in plenty of contact with COVID.
@Sonic: Could have done without the name calling to be honest.
@Steve Ashton: Look Steve, you patently don’t know anything about delivering a health service, that’s not your fault, but please refrain from criticising those doing their best, be that on .’the front line’, or those behind desks.
@Noel Kelly: Apologies, but the blood boils at these trolls.
@Maria Hickey-Fagan: I’m as simple as they come.
Scare tactics are rampant!
Ireland’s Call. We’re all in this together, so I’m donating my BBC Micro and three cassette tapes for the duration of the plague….
Whatever this mutation /new variant is,its going to blow even the lock downs out of the water.
“The average number of close contacts per confirmed case is now 6.3, with some counties recording a positivity rate approaching 30%.”
@just… Steve: well said Steve, totally agree
@Charmaine ☘ Irish: well my comment was deleted. Nothing offensive in my comment. Big media cover-up
My mother and her partner were both identified close contacts of a confirmed case and told they need to be tested. Her partner received notification to go for a test yesterday and my mother received a text message to say she doesn’t need to have a test and just needs to self isolate . They live in the same house. How does this make sense FFS
@Fargo Boyle: yes – they both need to isolate regardless of the test or test result. The test was simply to find close contacts of close contacts that have no symptoms but have the virus. At present this is not possible because of the volume of 1st close contacts which is currently running at about 100,000 if the 6.3 close contact count is correct and we had 15,000 cases in the last 10 days.
Many are under the assumption that a negative test for a close contact means they are “free” – but close contacts have to isolate whether they are tested or test negative, it is not just the positive close contacts that have to isolate.
I have friends who are in the same position and some are to be tested and some not and I understand it is confusing but if there is a limit on testing and 100,000 close contacts is a huge figure so they have decided to only test those close contacts who have symptoms – but really what difference does it make if close contacts have to isolate regardless of test results.
@Niall Ó Cofaigh: yeah I understand they need to isolate. But why does 1 get a test and they other does not if they live in the same house
That last paragraph can’t be correct? 25000 vaccinations?
@Miss Muffet: was thinking the same. At this pace that means the whole population will be vaccinated by October 2024.
@Miss Muffet: I gave more detail above 10,000 vaccines does 5,000 people and that was the first delivery. Then I believe it is 40,000 a week which does 20,000 people. This is the 25,000 figure.
It was said that they would hold enough to vaccines to cover the first and second dose until the supply chain was established and they had started the second vaccination (i.e in three weeks after the first shot). This was to ensure that enough vaccines existed to administer the second shot to people who got the first shot.
This is a cautious approach but better than have one batch late or spoil and have 40,000 people missing their second shot I think.
It’s gonna be another long year of it unfortunately. Keep the schools shut it’s not a babysitting service for parents that are tired of seeing their own sproggs over Christmas holidays.
First customer of the day, elderly man no mask just getting a newspaper we are screwed
@Stephen East: have noticed this a lot recently Stephen. Especially older people. Walking around shopping, no mask.
@just… Steve: fairplay to them
@Matthew Whelan: I’m sure you’ll think the same if you’re in a car accident in a few weeks but can’t receive treatment from A&E because the likes of old Joe who couldn’t care less to protect himself during a pandemic is clogging up the health service.
@just… Steve: I don’t know where you live/shop, but I have seen nobody, absolutely nobody without a mask on in the shops since they’ve become mandatory.
@Rochelle: A&E empty. ICU same as every other year.
@Joan Featherstone: ok
I hope people who still celebrated Xmas are happy with their, could we honestly not have just cancelled it for just one year…
@Tony Collins: I had a great Christmas. New year’s is pretty gash with this nonsense lockdown.
After the initial drama back in March 2020,what is the number of ICU beds that Ireland has at its disposal? What is the delta?
@Dragutin Cvetković: Oh I thought you were going to tell us – everything you need to know is in the HSE daily reports here https://www.hse.ie/eng/services/news/newsfeatures/covid19-updates/coronavirus-daily-operations-updates.html
ICU beds in total, those staffed and open, those occupied, those occupied by covid-19 cases and those covid-19 on ventilators and those covid-19 cases that die in ICU as well as the non covid-19 cases in ICU, the non covid-19 cases on ventilators etc…
Hoe this helps
@Niall Ó Cofaigh: Its called a rhetorical question :)
In essence, on 13th April we had circa 500 ICU beds, and yesterday we had 643 ICU beds.
9 months have passed, the pandemic is rampaging, and yet the government has managed to increase the number of ICU beds by a measly circa 150 units, on a circa 5 million population.
In my opinion: unacceptable.
And still travellers fly in unrestricted through Belfast and Derry and on to the south.
@Matthew Whelan: 2019 stats????
@DJ François: 2018 lowest since the 70′s so ya really asking about 2019.
Honestly why are you still reporting on cases ? COVID is not seriously harmful unless it is caught by someone who is high risk. Different rules should be in place for high risk and the rest of the population and economy can open up. This is not rocket science!
So the virus is rampant in the community, yet schools are safe and low paid SNAs are being asked to work in primary schools where there is no mask mandate for children……..
Yes the flu is rampant. The world has gone completely mad
the government were warned in early Dec and chose to ignore advice on the foot of fake stats from hospitality sector and opinions from Bolshi Boyelan on 4fm. Gross incompetence.
@just… Steve: Nail on the head there Steve.
Government resignations required. They did this, with full knowledge. Every excess death is theirs to own.
Only here in Ireland people still talking about this flu, who care leave us alone and start vaccinations
Ah, so we need to pay for private hospitals before this gets better
If this happened to the 1st wave it is understandable, but this is the 3rd wave!!! U have long time to resource whatever u needed!! No excuses!
Seen a lot of comment on the legacy computer issues.
The HSE has major IT issues due to the constant change driven by governments.
When the HSE was formed in 2005 it had to replace 10 regional health boards, all with their own systems and processes, the Eastern Regional Health Authority with its own systems and a number of organisations/agencies.
Initially they took a regional structure and planned to implement the change, then a new government decided to change the structure to hospital groups mid way through the restructure which was also never completed before a different approach was taken.
The HSE systems are a result of this chaotic change by successive governments and this is the legacy that makes their IT systems outdated as they never have the opportunity to update them.
It’s been a year now lads. I suppose 4, no surely 5 or 6 NEW HOSPITALS are open, with proper facilities for the health and welfare of the people on this island?
Ireland is the IT development and production centre of Europe. Why hasn’t a ‘Legacy computer system’ been upgraded or replaced by now? And why hasn’t a curfew been introduced in the cities? If there’s a will, there’s a way!
@Cindy Brolin: I have commented on the HSE IT Systems on this report – they are a mess due to chaotic change driven by successive governments – but your point here isn’t valid to the conversation.
Firstly, Ireland isn’t the IT development center for Europe – it’s one of several countries with a large IT industry.
Secondly, you are talking about Public Sector systems, not Private Sector systems – these are chalk and cheese. Public sector requires completely different security protocols, procurement requirements for SW licenses, skillsets, org structures, master data, etc., and unfortunately the Irish Governments you and everyone else’s elect are more focused on making an announcement on changing something then taking the time to put in place a multi year transformation to fix these issues
Govt fail .
Did you know he couldn’t pass the medical exam to be a doctor here? Tried 3 times and failed. He then went back to India to take the test and passed. Wouldn’t want him treating me…..for anything.
have your say