This past week has been even more stressful and hectic at work, due to a culmination of multiple deadlines over the past few months. I’ve been putting in extra hours on some evenings to stay on track. Thankfully by the end of the week I finally felt I had caught my breath somewhat, having ticked off at least a couple large projects from my list. I’ll be working through December 23rd, then the university shuts down until January 4th. I’m counting down the days (and hours!) to the break.
Ireland is bracing for the omicron wave. On Friday, Taoiseach Micheál Martin announced the re-imposition of certain COVID restrictions. Pubs and restaurants will be required to close at 8pm starting this Monday, although hotels will be exempt for overnight resident. Weddings are to be limited to 100 people. Outdoor events will be limited to 50% capacity or 5,000 people, whichever is lower, meaning some major sporting events over Christmas could be curtailed or cancelled. People arriving into Ireland from overseas will be required to have an antigen or PCR test in line with their vaccination or recovery status. All passengers coming into Ireland are now advised to use antigen tests on a daily basis for a period of five consecutive days after their arrival.
The vaccine booster programme is being rolled out at a frantic pace. Ireland has now boosted about 1.3 million people, or 25% adults, and is currently in the top five in Europe and the top 10 in the world for third doses administered. And today I learned that boosters will be opened up to those in their 40s starting tomorrow (Sunday December 19) – more than a week earlier than previously planned. The challenge is finding an appointment at a pharmacy… everywhere I checked was booked out until mid-January. Eventually I’ll be offered an appointment through Ireland’s Health Service Executive via text, although I would be surprised if that happens before Christmas.
Cases had been tapering off over the last few weeks, but today’s news headlines signal an end to a calm before the storm: “Covid-19: 7,333 cases reported as Omicron variant will be dominant within days.”
Amid the new fears around COVID, it feels like my social life has been stalled. Last week some friends were going to host a Christmas party, but they canceled due to the increasing number of cases and the government’s advise to limit social contacts. Yesterday (Friday) was my friend N.’s birthday, and he invited me to go see the new Spiderman movie with him. I wasn’t sure that I’d be able to see him before the holidays, so it was a pleasant surprise that he reached out at the last minute. We both enjoyed the movie, which served up a satisfying dish of action and escapism. Afterwords we walked through the eerily quiet Dublin shopping district of Henry Street, heading back to Temple Bar for pizza slices from DiFontaine’s on Parliament Street and a bottle of wine between the two of us.
Today I met up with my friend CJ for a late breakfast at the Joy of Cha, one of his go-to places near me in Temple Bar. We got there just in time before the place filled up. Afterwards we went for a walk to enjoy the unseasonably mild weather . The morning clouds had burned away to blue sky, and today’s high was in the low 50s F / low 10s C. CJ and I crossed through the Grafton Street area, which was absolutely mobbed with shoppers, then headed to a much more peaceful Merrion Square. We claimed a bench and continued our conversation about various topics while enjoying the warm sunlight before it dipped below the roofs of buildings, not long after 3:00pm.
After the sunlight was extinguished, CJ and I stopped by a cafe off St. Stephens Green for a coffee and sweet treat before parting ways. The streets all around city centre were gridlocked with cars queued up for parking garages at the shopping centres. I made some quick stops into shops for a few random items on my way back to Sprangers Yard. It was a relief to be back in my refuge away from the crowded sidewalks. I’ve had passing bouts of FOMO (fear of missing out), especially now that Dublin’s nightlife will be seriously curtailed due to the reimposed restrictions. However, I’m looking forward to another quiet evening in.
Until next time….
