Health care workers will be given priority with San Mateo County's first vaccine doses

“ Rogers said that staffing - not the beds - is the primary barrier to expanding ICU capacity.”

So let me get this straight: we’re going to close down major parts of the economy and deprive people of their jobs because the hospitals have a staffing problem? A staffing problem that has been staring us in the face since March?

awatkins,

"A staffing problem that has been staring us in the face since March?"

Staffing as in Doctors and Nurses. Both are skills that take years of education to attain and are in very high demand everywhere in the country (not to mention the world). Why is this a surprise?
It is also relevant to point out that a lot of frontline doctors and nurses are burning out and leaving their jobs. Something that is pretty easy to understand when they don't have adequate protective gear and often see people ignoring mask wearing and social distancing. It has to be extremely frustrating for them not to mention terrifying knowing that they are at a high risk of contracting COVID.

awatkins:

shortage of trained medical personnel has been an ongoing problem since before March. It's been happening for years. Nurses have even struck over nurse/patient ratios that are too high for appropriate patient care.

OK, then why are the state’s lockdown thresholds controlled by number of physical beds rather then number of beds that actually have associated personnel and hence are usable?

Given the age-old, static and insurmountable ICU staffing problems you both describe, why does Kaiser-Permanente have a plan for increasing staffing by 20% and the ability to increase bed count (presumablu usable) by 70%. Is K-P delusional?

awatkins:

I suggest you ask Kaiser.

I’m asking you because what you said directly contradicts something said by a senior hospital official, and for some odd reason I’m inclined to believe that person rather than some random person hiding behind a fake name whose information sources are the same as everyone else on the planet.

awatkins:

believe whomever and whatever you want. Nothing I tell you is likely to change your mind.