Patients treated in car parks as pressure continues to mount on Northern Ireland’s over-capacity health service
David Young
Updated: 15 Dec 2020, 20:53
PATIENTS were treated in car parks as queues of ambulances formed outside several hospitals in Northern Ireland as pressure continued to mount on the region’s over-capacity health service.
The scenes unfolded as First Minister Arlene Foster participated in a call with other UK political leaders to review the planned relaxation of restrictions on household gatherings over Christmas.
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Medical staff return a bed to an ambulance at Antrim Area Hospital, Co Antrim in Northern IrelandCredit: PA:Press Association
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Ambulances at the entrance to the emergency department with a number of the vehicle with patients awaiting to be admitted at Antrim Area HospitalCredit: PA:Press Association
Comment
16 Dec 2020, 7:15
IT’s almost three weeks since Sinn Féin TD Brian Stanley tweeted his widely-condemned conflation of IRA attacks in the War of Independence and the Northern Troubles.
The story has dominated political debate and media coverage since.
Stanley’s tweet was stupid and offensive, but did it merit exhausting so much political energy on it?
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Nearly every party has had a tweet-related scandal and often the response is overegged.
The cycle is monotonous tweet causes outrage, outrage gets milked, retrospective outrage applies as new posts are found.
Nothing along the way serves the people as legislators are meant to.
Michelle Devane
Updated: 16 Dec 2020, 8:06
IRELAND S tourism chief has vowed the sector can recover in 2021 from the devastating effects of Covid-19.
Tourism Ireland chief executive Niall Gibbons said after a devastating 2020, with the pandemic causing havoc for the travel and tourism industry across the globe, 2021 will see the restart of international travel.
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The tourism industry in Ireland has endured a devastating 2020Credit: Getty Images - Getty
Mr Gibbons said the organisation has a three-phase plan to restart, rebuild and ultimately redesign demand next year.
It is planning a significant kick-start campaign, which will be launched, possibly around St Patrick s Day 2021, to drive bookings and revenue for tourism businesses.