To hear that your local hospital has temporarily shut down is not the news anyone wants to hear, particularly if you are a vulnerable member of society.
But that is exactly what happened at Watford General Hospital on Saturday.
It’s enough to make you wonder just how serious the coronavirus situation is in our hospital.
It is important to remember that the decision to shut A&E was to protect existing patients – and thankfully, it appears they were never at risk, because of the action taken by hospital bosses to declare a critical incident.
But what is concerning is the events that led up to the declaration.
From documents seen by the Guardian, it is clear West Hertfordshire Hospitals NHS Trust were worried about the capacity of the oxygen system and the number of patients.
Roughly 200 suspected or confirmed Covid-19 patients are being treated in Watford and the trust says it can stretch to about 300 – but with the peak expected in a matter of days, you wonder how the trust will cope.
The chief executive has warned a critical incident could be declared again.
Hopefully, pressure will force the Government to improve NHS infrastructure in hospitals, because it is the least the NHS staff working tirelessly deserve.
But it is also a stark reminder that with the Easter bank holiday, we have a duty to protect our hospital and save as many lives as possible by acting responsibly and staying home, because hospital patients should never be turned away from care when they need it most.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here