Northern ireland

[Nickysofttouch]

Quick question

Why are schools set to close for 2 weeks in NI but not in england and wales?

@LoeliaPonsonby

Exile here - how is this affecting the 11+?

The transfer tests are, at time of writing, still going ahead, although delayed until January. A few schools have said they aren't using academic selection this year but not many. However, if the schools end up closed for longer than the proposed 2 weeks, I can't see how they can go ahead. Stupid system made even worse this year!

mrsfeatherbottom Mental. My niblings are all caught up in the schools mess - there’s a lot I miss about the NI education but the transfer test isn’t one of them.

It's horrendous Loelia, the kids are trying to do the best, not knowing if it will even happen. Nobody knows what admission criteria will be applied if it is cancelled. We're panicking that admissions will be decided by distance, as our nearest two schools are not ones we would want DD to go to.

It is a head shaking nightmare in NI though I'm not surprised.
Today's numbers over 1200.
What happens in NI - they obviously can’t put people on a ferry to bring them over - would they be able to access hospitals in Ireland?
I don't it there is feck all ICU beds in the republic of Ireland certainly non to spare.
They are already housing non covid patients in porta cabins.
Everything has been open as normal in NI soft play, pubs, the launch of the mega store, cinema the republic has been on much tighter restrictions.

I work in a Belfast hospital and it is scary how quickly they are filling up. There's very little spare capacity. Something drastic was needed to quickly reduce numbers again. I highly doubt that schools will reopen after only 2 weeks.

I cried today too, so so so so so sick of it all!

Like fuck its just for 2 weeks.... its to be reviewed after 2 weeks.. i doubt it will be lifted. This is just the beginning. Like it was in march. Fml.

My eldest is in P7. Whenever I heard that the AQE/GL was being postponed until January I had a hunch that something would be happening in November. Got message from the school today to say they'd be sending extra work home 'just in case' the restrictions go on longer than 2 weeks. FML.

The two closest soft plays to me have shut down forever. I moaned about them a lot, but used them several times per month and am actually a bit heartbroken that they are gone.

Had a bit of a wobble today about the whole thing. 5 DC here, all a bit hectic, and they keep asking me questions that I just can't answer. Trying to not listen to the news in front of them.

@nancy75

What happens in NI if they run out of hospital beds? In England we are still in a position where if Liverpool for example run out of beds people could be sent to hospitals in areas with lower numbers (not ideal if it’s mikes away but it can be done) What happens in NI - they obviously can’t put people on a ferry to bring them over - would they be able to access hospitals in Ireland?

Fly them over?

Why is Derry & Stranane so bad?

My brother in Tyrone said very little face mask wearing & distancing generally.

Why is Derry & Stranane so bad?

My brother in Tyrone said very little face mask wearing & distancing generally
For the same reasons it will travel to Tyrone there has been little face mask wearing or social distancing. I have family in NI and friends many were all still enjoying life without any changes.
Spouting conspiracies theories.

I worry about my childs mental health after all of this.
He is only young but he asks a lot about the virus and i have even noticed when he is going into school he keeps a big distance from anyone else. So another stint off school is just going to make this all even worse for him.
I know he is doing the right thing by distancing etc but he is only 6 and I do not expect him to take this all on board so much.
I have had him geared up for restarting swimming next week (he is very shy and takes a long time to warm up to anything, including school - still funny about going in, needs 10 kisses and hugs before going in etc) so to now presumably have swimming cancelled is just another spanner in the works.
People are not wearing masks or distancing enough here......
But it is very unfair for the families who are adhering and who are actively doing their bit. We now all have to endure this because people didn't listen in the first place.
My hairdressers is shut and they did everything they should of been doing, temp check, masks, sanitise, limited people in, all of it. I am sure they are gutted to be closing again even after doing everything by the rule book.

It is all shite, for sure. I feel so bloody sorry for all of our DC. However I don't know what other option there is. RVH had a waiting time of 310 mins this morning, just for triage. The situation in the hospitals is grim.

Interestingly, Dr Black, the chair of the BMA, reckons that schools should remain open as there is no evidence of spread - but that the other restrictions don't go far enough as hospital capacity is in dire straits already. He wants a full lockdown (only schools open) and says they surveyed their Dr members who agreed with his view. Eg he states gyms should be shut.

Dr McBride reckons the schools themselves are safe for students and teachers but that the issue is the behaviour of children and parents on their way to and from school, and what parents do whilst their kids are at school Not sure what he thinks goes on during school hours, large parental orgies? House parties?

I really don't have a clue who to believe or what the answer is

Private I heard Dr Black on Nolan this morning and it angered me how he was pointing the blame on parents doing school runs.

Where is the trust in people using common sense? I refuse to walk into school grounds to collect my kids and not look at or speak to anyone. I am not a robot. I will be sensible, not sneeze on anyone and keep a bit of distance. Everyone else I see is doing this too. Plus we are outside!

The hospitals were fecked before this all happened. But now they can just blame us.

Morning all, checking in from Derry! We are on a strict lockdown here, schools close tomorrow & my place of work closes tomorrow at 6pm for 4 weeks.

We’ve already been closed 2 weeks as Derry hospitality was shut down due to the increase in numbers. I can categorically say that ppl (not all obviously) here didn’t care about Corona. They wanted to host parties for all occasions! They didn’t want to wear masks, social distance or follow the rule of 6. The last month in hospitality has been a nightmare trying to convince people to follow the rules.

We have very little ICU beds here & I really fear we are 100% doomed. There will most definitely be mass life’s lost/unemployment/mental health/education will suffer so much.

Up until a few weeks ago I was positive that we could pull back from this. Such a small country could have made the efforts but unfortunately its went the other way & I firmly believe that NI is only at the beginning of this disaster.

Where is the trust in people using common sense? I refuse to walk into school grounds to collect my kids and not look at or speak to anyone. I am not a robot. I will be sensible, not sneeze on anyone and keep a bit of distance. Everyone else I see is doing this too. Plus we are outside
If the majority of parents are stopping for a quick chat it adds up then the congregate outside.
I'm not blaming parents at all though lots of people have refused masks spent their summer like every other year partying and socialising.

@StillCounting123 unfortunately they have relied on people to use their common sense too long, and it has shown that common sense is not as common as we would like! Very few people are wearing masks when they should be. I was in a chip shop and a coffee shop in two separate council areas at the weekend and was shocked at how few people were wearing masks. So many people think the rules don’t apply to them and that they’re “only nipping in for a quick coffee at my sister’s house, sure what will it matter - she doesn’t have Covid and neither do I” and the chain of infection is increasing and people have taken it into the care homes again