I can answer those questions.
Not everyone was working in red (Covid) zones. For example, you need to be airway/mechanical ventilation trained to work in intensive care; it’s not an environment any old nurse can walk into. It’s also not something you can learn in a matter of days or even weeks; it’s a process that takes years.
So, that means we had a cohort of staff that could not have worked in the red zones. Some people also could not for medical reasons.
Believe it or not, hospitals were probably used more appropriately during the pandemic. People weren’t mixing so we had far less idiots doing stupid things. If most people are at home, they aren’t out getting drunk, taking drugs. People weren’t driving much so fewer car accidents etc. Fewer work related accidents as people were WFH. Remember that people also present to A&E for all sorts of minor ailments that could be treated at home with rest/OTC meds; they generally stayed away. All of this meant that SOME hospital areas were “quieter” than normal. The wards were all full with Covid patients.
The general public do not have access to staff only areas or the wards, and certainly had no access to wards during Covid. So, I can assure you these “empty” areas were a myth.
As for TikTok dances, I personally didn’t have the time or inclination to do that. I don’t recall any of my colleagues doing that either. However, even if they did, I’m not sure why that would be a problem? We are entitled to breaks and what my colleagues chose to do on their own break would be of no concern to me. What you don’t realise is that when you work in a dark environment in very dark times, it’s sometimes the stupid things that give you a pick me up. These actions were not hurting anyone so I don’t understand why some are so fixated on this.