The choices that people make now could influence the kind of Christmas they have and the level of Covid-19 in the community in the New Year, according to the chief executive of the Saolta University Health Care Group.
Speaking as the country exited Level 5 restrictions, Tony Canavan said one of the key differences between this and the recently introduced Level 3, are the choices available to people.
While their movements and the range of activities open to them were curtailed for the duration of lockdown, this restriction has now been lifted.
However, with this opening up of the country comes increased risk. The Health Care Group CEO said we all have the power to keep virus numbers down and ensure everyone has a safe and happy Christmas. Making sensible choices and exercising personal responsibility will allow this to be achieved.
"Where we end up after Christmas [in terms of the virus] depends on the choices people make now," said Mr Canavan, who heads up seven public hospitals on five sites in the west and north-west of the country. "The choices they make this week could even impact on the type of Christmas they have."
He stressed that "every contact counts" and encouraged people to use discretion when choosing whom to meet and where to go. "We all need to think of the really, really important things. Who are the most important people you want to meet and then try to limit your [other] social activities. As regards doing some extra shopping, do you do one big shop instead of several small shops?" The important thing is to avoid creating environments where Covid-19 can spread, he said.
Low and steady
While there is a risk that virus levels will rise in the New Year, he is not "fearful" of a third wave of the infection emerging in January/February. There are many reasons to be hopeful, particularly because of the vaccines which are on the "immediate horizon" he stated.
"I think things have changed a lot since the start of Covid. We know more about it now and how to manage it. We also have access to more resources, such as PPE. All these things matter."
He said the number of Covid positive patients in Covid wards in the western hospitals has remained "very low" and "steady" in the last week or more. There were currently none in Roscommon or Portiuncula University Hospitals while the numbers were "very low" in Mayo and University Hospital Galway.
There were no Covid-p "This has been the case for the last number of days - for up to a week," said the CEO. ICUs in Galway and Mayo report they are "just under" 100 per cent occupancy at the moment, he said. "There is a small number of ICU beds available, that's a good thing. At 6.30am on Tuesday morning, there were three in Galway [UHG] and one in Portiuncula. It changes all the time and it does indicate that overall ICUs are busy. But they are managing and that is the important thing."
Mr Canavan outlined that throughout Level 5 the Covid-19 numbers in the Saolta run hospitals in Galway, Mayo, and Roscommon have decreased and are at the lowest point since this level was introduced on 21 October. However, the other Saolta hospitals in Sligo and Letterkenny are experiencing "difficulties", he said.
He said local hospitals were very busy generally. "What we've seen in the last while is that all the hospitals are extremely busy but they are all managing and coping. The numbers awaiting admission on trolleys is relatively low. At 6.30am on Tuesday there were five people on trolleys in Galway which is no comparison with last year. Thirty would not have been unusual, then. However, that significant difference [in numbers] does not mean that the working lives of people in these areas are easier. Even five people awaiting admission on trolleys does create significant problems.
"The emergency department in Galway is working at the same level as this time last year. At the moment we are trying to get through each day as it comes. We are seeing the usual minor injuries and bumps and bruises." He expects there will be a rise in respiratory patients presenting at local emergency departments as usually happens during winter but the analysis of cases passing through their doors has not been completed yet.
Galway's two private hospitals, the Bon Secours in Renmore, and the Galway Clinic in Doughiska, will continue to provide additional capacity to ease the pressure on the local public hospitals. Saolta and the Galway Clinic signed a service level agreement earlier this week which will allow medical patients, identified through the Acute Medical Unit at UHG, to be treated at the Galway Clinic.
As we face into Christmas, the Saolta CEO said it was very important that people have a "really good" Christmas. "People have lost loved ones, have made sacrifices, and have not been able to attend significant family occasions. Having a really good Christmas is a very important thing."
