Dr. Mairéad De Búrca PhD
@DrMaireadDB
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PhD Doctorate in Education. #COVIDisAirborne #ProtectOurChildren #MasksWork when well fitted (FFP2 or better) https://t.co/CEwe9tYrDK
Joined August 2011
Patient in hospital wearing a respirator mask, to avoid getting any infections on top of their illness. Dr: Do you have COVID?. Patient: No. Dr: Then why are you wearing a mask?. Patient: Because you are NOT wearing a mask.
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True story.Cancer patient asked 2 people to plz mask - surgery soon, doesn't want COVID = surgery postponed. 1. Cancer nurse in a cancer unit in a hospital. 2. Taxi driver in a taxi. One said: Of course I will. One said: No, COVID is done with & I have rights. Which one said yes?.
Maskless healthcare workers - would you be willing to tell me WHY you don’t mask? . I’m not looking for “because I don’t have to”. I want to know why you don’t mask mirror for patients and/or CHOOSE to take precautions? . Respectful answers only please. I’m genuinely asking.
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I don't know who put this together. If anyone does, tell me plz so I can credit.
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@catladyactivist Why @POTUS ? Why won’t you let people avoid picking up a virus and getting sick at the doctor’s office?.What is your point?.
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Dear Reader,.It's COVID. Children are sick. Teachers are sick. Schools are unsafe. The end.
School absences have exploded. Per the NYT am email I still get from when I had the cheap subscription. I'm going to share so you too can have emotions today. I am going to copy/paste that whole thing - request for full article gift in last tweet. I did edit for char limits.
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1/3.Last week, the WHO issued yet another warning: “Your health is precious. Protect yourself and loved ones from Covid: stay at home if sick. Test, get boosted, ventilate, mask around others. This information was not shared. Tess Finch-Lees.
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@bbbrazil__ Possible replies to boss:.- Is that a threat?.- What do you mean exactly?.- Could you repeat that, please, I think I misheard you?.- Can you put that in writing?.- An issue in the future? When?.- Is my health a personal matter?.- Why?.
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51 deaths today RIP but Norma Foley still wants schools to reopen, she says "I know what is right". She doesn't.
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@jackwleahy The reopening of schools with such high community transmission AND the new variants (AND without any "materially" extra safety measures since last August), is the next stupid mistake that will cost us dearly. Parents must speak.
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Dear Ireland,.Before, during or after COVID, please do NOT send sick children to school. ANY kind of sick. Incredible to have to say that.
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Yesterday, Minister for Education, Norma Foley, wrote an opinion piece in @irishexaminer I think her words should be examined. I propose to do that here. 1/x.
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Primary Tchrs: Can we have <35 indoors, plz?.Norma: No. T: Masks indoors?.N: No.T: 2m Social Distancing?.N: No.T: 1m SD?.N: "if possible". T: If it's not poss?.N: Then no. T: Ventilation?.N: No. Open a window. T: It's v cold. N: Close the window. T: Vaccine?.N: OK.Actually. no!.
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Teachers. The haters are out again. Remember this. Mind your mental health. Mind your health. Do your job. Nobody else's. Go above and beyond for your OWN children & families. You cannot please some people, so please yourself & your own family.
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If you see someone wearing a 😷 from today, they might be:.- immuno compromised.- medically vulnerable.- protecting a loved one.- protecting you. They might have tested positive for COVID, but have no symptoms yet, & told to work.
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@MaiaDunphy Plz blame who is at fault here = Norma Foley. Unions have been calling for safety measures for 2 years. She is an absentee Minister. Walked out of Dáil after 30 min speech to opposition. Webinar from school staff & parents asking for safety measures here:
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Yes. Yes, we want you to mask. If you see a mask, please wear a mask.
If you see someone wearing a mask, and your first instinct is to ask them if they want you to mask. The answer is. Yes. Yessssssss. Just put on the fucking mask. Don't even bother asking if we want you to. You already know the answer. You're just hoping we say no.
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Long COVID is NOT funny. This is disgraceful from the national broadcaster in Ireland @rte @TheSundayGame.People are in a bad way with Long COVID & your panel LAUGHS at it?.@LCAIreland @LCKIreland @long_covid @LongCovidAdvoc @LongCovidHell @LongCovidKids
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60,806 COVID cases on our island of Ireland, so far. Before schools reopened, there were 33,743 cases on our island. (17th of August). Our cases have almost doubled in SEVEN WEEKS.
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Masks are not restrictions. Masks are a safety measure against COVID & other illnesses.
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How come people calling for teachers to "make up time" never call for others who to do so? Or for us to make up holidays worked? Last 3 days sorting books etc, Aug sorting EVERYTHING; Oct midterm replacing poisonous sanitiser; Principals 24/7 to contact trace; CPD; on&on.
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Ireland is the worst in the world again? How many times is that under your leadership .@MichealMartinTD ?. @fiannafailparty .@FineGael .@greenparty_ie
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I am hearing from teachers that many parents are not taking sick children to be tested. Parents, please DO get the test if your child has COVID symptoms. If not, I'm worried they won't have access to Long COVID care if they are unfortunate enough to get it. #ProtectOurChildren.
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I have kept COVID data every day since last March 2020. This day 3/6/2020 we had 47 cases. Today we had at least* .465.Is THAT supposed to be progress?.
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Schools during Levels 5, compared to L1. No difference. No extra measures. No PPE to speak of, paper mask if lucky. Buy own. No extra staff. Packed classrooms of 30+ average, so no 2m social distancing. Not much sd at all JI-2nd. No ventilation system. Just open windows & freeze.
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@educationgovuk @ChristmasRowena @NHSuk Disgraceful. Conjunctivitis is highly contagious!.Sore eyes, throat, head, tummy, runny nose, slight cough ARE ALL SYMPTOMS OF COVID. Not everyone has a temperature!. Dear Parents,.YOU know your child. If they're sick, let them recover AT HOME. Signed a Teacher of 39 years!.
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#ReopeningSchoolsSafely .Any other teachers' exhaustion levels at the end of June level already?.I'm absolutely shattered.
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The COVID Russian Roulette, constant gaslighting & lies about schools made me retire from teaching today. The relief is indescribable, as is the sorrow. I'll miss it very much, most especially the children, but I'm not taking the dreadful Dept treatment another day.
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Ireland, baby, next time vote ONLY LEFT! Greens ain't left. Greens ain't even green.
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@clint_weyhrich @Islandlatte @tylerpturner @dreamstuff2000 @ThiaraDiamondx @EmmaKennedy @realDonaldTrump @BarackObama Trump has risen the national debt to historic highs. Why? To give wealthy people tax breaks.
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People over 60 urged to restrict their movements. I missed this yesterday!.So, the price of essential drinking & clubbing is for our over 60s to lock themselves at home. Isn't that fantastic. What a country.
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Norma Foley says she consults widely. She has never asked me about school reopening or any other issue. I am an expert in my field & job. She obviously is not.
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#ReopeningSchoolsUNSafely .Just listened to this interview. Norma Foley is endangering us all. She must resign. The incompetence & dishonesty is beyond a joke now, it's scary. Dáil unsafe, but schools are ok? Complete ignorance & madness.
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@LazarusLong13 They believed the lies about reinfection giving immunity. Again & again & again & again & again & again. It's very sad. I'd worry about the medical decisions they make about their patients too.
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108 more COVID deaths reported today. That's 487 COVID deaths reported so far in 2022. So utterly tragic.
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I find it curious that some people who lied to us about children getting & spreading COVID in order to to keep schools open during a Pandemic, no matter what, are now saying how important it is to vaccinate children, because COVID makes them very sick.
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Dear teachers, best of luck tomorrow & for the next 3 months of🤞Keep at least 2m from all. I know you can't do that without turning your teaching upside down. Turn it! .Wear a proper mask or 2 not so good ones, goggles, visor too if you like. Windows & doors open. Protect YOU! 1.
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Teachers are telling me they have NEVER seen this level or number of infections as right now. Children & staff are getting COVID for the 2nd time thanks to .@MichealMartinTD .@LeoVaradkar .@greenparty_ie. @CMOIreland .Our "leaders" & media don't seem to care. #ProtectOurChildren.
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Hospitals full. No beds. Our health system is already NOT able to cope. ERIS DOES pose a serious threat to all of us. Who knows who might need medical care for cancer, a car accident, appendix. , it could be any one of us.Also, the real threat of long COVID not even mentioned.
The latest covid-19 variant does not pose a serious threat to most people and our health system will be able to cope, the country's leading virology experts have said, as they encouraged people to continue socialising.
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Boris Johnson had a big presser at 5pm on Sky news. Very poor. The attached videos are David Nabarro from WHO speaking directly after Boris. Do not watch, if you are feeling low. Nabarro NEVER EVER talks like this. Take heed. 1/3
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#ReopeningSchoolsUNSafely .School staff have very little PPE, are in close contact with 30+ all day, no timers, no social distancing.
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#ReopeningSchoolsUNSafely .Heard Stephen Donnelly being "interviewed" on radio news at one. Finally asked about schools reopening & Donnelly threw out the lie that schools are the safest place for children still, so no change. He was not questioned on that lie. Depressing.
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The people risking our children. They say it's because education is so important. Bullshit. Education is important to ME. I've given my life to it. I KNOW it's important. It's NOT more important than keeping children safe. Cop on & #ProtectOurChildren.
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@Yamiche JFC! TRUMP live now talking BS about operation warp speed to make a vaccine. Not going to wait for it to be approved!!! He's nuts and the people enabling him should be jailed with him. He's going to put ALL of the money into this unsafe experiment & not to keeping Americans safe!.
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@Soylent_Spring Many in healthcare need much better education on how to protect themselves & their patients.
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#edchatie Under 12s are COMPLETELY unprotected from the v infectious DELTA variant of AIRBORNE COVID. Do people understand that? When they return to school & preschool, they will be the cohort in GREATEST danger & without safety measures. Are we understanding that yet in Ireland?.
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Antigen tests are too late showing a positive now, unless people keep testing for days & they're not because:.- they have to buy the tests & VAT will be added tomorrow to make them MORE expensive again.- they think a neg means not COVID.WE NEED PCR TESTS @CMOIreland @LeoVaradkar.
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We don't have mandated masks at primary OR social distancing OR small numbers allowed indoors. We have the largest class size in the entire EU and the highest rates of COVID in the entire world. Yet, some people think it's a good idea to risk children. OK. I see those people.
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@EmerHigginsTD @Postvox @simoncoveney @FineGael Ah, Emer, seriously??? You think that's good news? You think you've won something? I thought it was a parody. Will the fee be changed too to reflect it's not an express service?.
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IRELAND: Look where we are!.Hiding cases in children so people can go to the pub & start the whole cycle of crazy high infection off again? Is that the plan .@DonnellyStephen ?
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How many other road accidents had COVID as a factor?.Such a tragedy.
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Norma getting praise because she "Kept unions quiet" .@INTOnews .@astiunion .@TUIunion .@forsa_union_ie .Time to stop being so quiet, lads.
No integrity, universally disliked by those in education, automated responses, condescending, lied about data (or doesn't understand it) , pissed off 4 unions, principals, parents, teachers, students. WHAT IS GOING ON?
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Missing a few days in school will not have a serious impact on exams. Stupid statement. Sending children to school sick, however, will have a serious impact on them & on those they infect. Incredible that this must be said.
We've moved to a darker level of forced infection.
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@SimonHarrisTD Only 6 allowed indoors, but pack the schools? It's absolute nonsense, Simon.
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What I found most shocking (even more shocking than the misinformation and misleading claims) about @ClaireByrneLive interview of @NormaFoleyTD1 this morning, was her confidence! She has absolutely NO RIGHT to feel confident. Appalling Minister of Ed. Soft, soft interview, Claire.
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She ends by praising staff & saying their generous goodwill is inspiring. Factcheck: Even the incredible goodwill of school staff can vanish with endless, sickening gaslighting & condescension. #ProtectOurChildren 13/13.
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I’ve heard three FFers today boasting about their amazing ACHIEVEMENT of keeping schools open.Hmmmm any ACHIEVEMENTS belong to school staff.Keeping schools open during a global pandemic, WITHOUT airborne COVID safety measures is a Govt DISGRACE & far, far, FAR from an achievement.
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.@lidl_ireland please tell staff to wear masks properly. Masks under noses in 2 staff yesterday. Their plastic screen does NOT protect staff or customers from COVID. It is an airborne virus, so it is floating all around the shop. Masks are essential Ventilation would also be good.
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#SchoolsAreNotSafe.They lied. They're still lying. 65,400 little children infected in one month. At least 65,400, because data is being suffocated for children. #ProtectOurChildren
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People sometimes ask me why I am still going on about safety for our primary school children, now that I’m retired?.They don’t understand. I never did it for me. I always did it for the children. The children haven’t retired & still need protecting. #ProtectOurChildren.
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Schools ARE drivers of COVID & are NOT controlled environments, because they are full of children. Taoiseach & CMO know this.
Taoiseach: "It's our intention that schools will reopen in January. Schools are not drivers of the virus.". CMO: The "controlled environment" of classrooms means they are at the lower end of activity.
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CMO just advised parents not to bring children to indoor dining venues. I wonder what he will say about schools in September?.
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She claims to support children with Additional Educational Needs next. Factcheck: She told schools to use the Special Education Teacher (SET) as a sub if no subs available; she FAILED to increase SETs or SNAs despite more children in need. 4/x.
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She said, "Since schools reopened, very significant infection prevention control measures have been put in place in schools". Factcheck: Primary schools got - hand sanitiser, pods (tables), bubbles (classes), open the windows, belatedly a tiny number of Co2 monitors to share. 2/x.
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#ReopeningSchoolsUNSafely .We have 14.5% positive rate today in Ireland. Schools were closed in New York at 3%. @VoiceforTeacher @johnboyle_INTO .@MichealMartinTD.#edchatie.
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In case anyone believes the very inaccurate "journalists", Norma Foley is in fact a terrible Minister who has absolutely FAILED to #ProtectOurChildren.
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@UbakaOgbogu @Astraea1974 I resigned when I realised my employer didn't care if I lived or died. They still don't care about teachers' health or lives. (Ireland).
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Despite testing suppression, we had 75,418 REPORTED infections this week and 52 deaths. HSE report a total of 1,145,968 COVID infections. They did not add reported positive antigen tests. Add them & it's actually 1,188,521. This week last year, we had 25,212 cases, total 172,724.
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This takes the absolute biscuit for bullshit and gaslighting. It.Is.The.Schools.
It is not clear what is driving the increase in those aged between 5 and 12 NPHET will be examining this in more detail in coming weeks.
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@MaiaDunphy No, Maia. TCD can still hire Tony if they wish. They just have to go through proper procedure & pay his salary at the correct academic level.
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.@ronan_glynn today saying that they never said schools are safe. Here he is saying what he said he never said. @AodhanORiordain .@Donnchadhol .@GaryGannonTD .@paulmurphy_TD .@RoisinShortall @RobOHanrahan @gavreilly @ciananbrennan @aoifegracemoore @FergalBowers.
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Why aren't teacher unions advising members about rules around temperature & not accepting low temperatures in their classrooms?. @INTOnews. @astiunion .@TUIunion.
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COVID IS NOT OVER & NPHET did NOT back the "open up everything" action. This gross negligence is on .@fiannafailparty .@FineGael .@greenparty_ie .@MichealMartinTD .@LeoVaradkar .@EamonRyan.& those who lobbied them to cast safety measures aside. Will it be reported .@gavreilly ?.
Page 6 of NPHET advice to Govt! If you read nothing else on this pandemic after today, read this!! #NPHET #restrictions
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@TonightVMTV @ciarakellydoc That woman knows nothing about schools, but she is supposed to be a medical doctor. Therefore, she should know that ANY human can infect & be infected; even "mild" COVID is very horrible; people die of all ages; after effects include lung scarring & heart problems FOR LIFE.
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Today, the actual Minister for Ed callously tells anxious unvaccinated .pregnant teachers to go on sick leave if they are so worried?.Maybe ALL tchrs should, eh Norma, if they are worried?.YOU said it! We'd only be following YOUR science. .
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#tonightvmtv Pods are only tables. They do nothing for safety. ALL children in the class should be sent home & tested because COVID is an airborne virus & asymptomatic children CAN infect others. Need: masks, smaller numbers, air filters, PROPER test & trace.
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Wouldn't it be grand if schools had as many safety measures as pubs & nightclubs - Vax certs, tickets, masks, table service, contact tracing?.Not to mention all those meetings to meet the DEMANDS of the nightclub owners. Wouldn't it be grand if a few school safety needs were met?.
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This is not learning loss, or due to a few months online. This is children UNABLE to LEARN, unable to remember, unable to attend to a 3 minute video, unable to answer questions, unable to use language. We MUST NOT expose them again & again to COVID. We MUST #ProtectOurChildren.
This is interesting to me because the teacher delineates between the kids she’s taught who are identified as disabled and says what she’s seeing in “non-disabled” kids and I gotta say, it kind of just sounds like all those kids actually are disabled now.
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@bbbrazil__ I know you know, but sometimes, making a person put what they actually mean into words gives them pause.
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Young children are super spreaders again. Huge repurcussions for primary schools reopening. Current plan is not good enough. Start again.
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Is this woman for real?.Students are NOT glued to their phones in school. She's a disgrace & should resign or be sacked. @SimonHarrisTD @MichealMartinTD @rodericogorman.
My op-ed today in @thejournal_ie about why I am providing funding to secondary schools for mobile phone pouches or other storage solutions so that students are no longer glued to their phones during the school day.
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This NPHET presser is a disgrace. According to the ECDC guidance, Irish primary schools are HIGH RISK environments due to no masks, soc distancing, ventilation, test/trace or vax of majority in overcrowded classrooms. Stop gaslighting an educated pop @CMOIreland & @ronan_glynn.
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2/3.Instead, our governments are pathologising those of us using proven tools to protect ourselves and our loved ones. As though being scientifically literate is an act of disobedience, punishable by state-sponsored stigma and ostracization”. Tess Finch-Lees.
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Thank you so much to everyone who sent me good wishes. I never expected it, but it was wonderful. I tried to respond to everyone. I'm v lucky to have had an amazing career & now I am v lucky again to be able to retire in good health. I will NEVER stop shouting up for you all.😊.
The COVID Russian Roulette, constant gaslighting & lies about schools made me retire from teaching today. The relief is indescribable, as is the sorrow. I'll miss it very much, most especially the children, but I'm not taking the dreadful Dept treatment another day.
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Q to nurse: How come you don't wear a mask?.A: Govt said we don't have to. Q: Do you know you are risking your health & your patients' health?.A: Ya, but the Govt said we don't have to. Q: You don't care?.A: Of course I care, BUT the Govt said we don't have to. .
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Call for information, please. Ireland. 1/.3 hospitals in Ireland seem to have banned visitors due to COVID. Tallaght.Galway UH.Sligo UH. Anyone know of other hospitals?.
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@GidMK In Ireland, mothers get a minimum of 26 weeks paid maternity leave. I am shocked at how badly new mothers are treated in the US.
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@rtenews Such a dangerous misuse of public money, RTE. Stop it. Fresh calls from whom?.IBEC members?.Vintners?.Certainly NOT Health Care Workers who are swamped by COVID.
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@sarahcareyIRL The over 65s & those with underlying conditions are human beings too, deserving of health & care. You will be over 65 yourself one day & who knows who may have an underlying condition & not know it yet.
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Irish Govt very suddenly acting on:.- Contact tracing returned.- Boosters opened for under 50s.- Vaccines approved for under 5s for first time ever. Fears health system near collapse. Covid booster for 18-49s, first vaccine for infants.
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