Relaxation of Restrictions, Part XII *Read OP For Mod Warnings*

storker

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118820239#Comment_118820239

There's no talk of lockdown nor even of anyone calling for one. It's not necessary. What may be necessary is a reintroduction of masking and/or social distancing in some settings (e.g. shops, public transport) and advice to work from home where possible. That's about as far as I can see it needing to go.

Red Silurian

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118847735#Comment_118847735

According to that article

Dr Fergal Hickey said the situation in hospitals at the moment is "unrelenting" and is "probably the worst I've ever seen in my career".

So Fergal Hickey must be a relatively new doctor then as it was much worse in January 2021 (also mentioned in the article)

However they also hit the nail on the head in that article

lessons that could have been learned early on - such as the need to create additional capacity - have not been learned,

mollser

You'd swear there was no massive wave at christmas when masks were mandatory and bars were shuttered at 8pm. Or that, say, Scotland with their masks are not going through a similar wave (if not even more impactful than here).

This wave has peaked and is on the way out now, and quite dramatically so by the looks of things - some in the the media need to get a grip - nature will take its course at this stage

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118847527#Comment_118847527

“Control the behaviour of others”? All a bit melodramatic isn’t it?

yourdeadwright

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118847925#Comment_118847925

Why do you say on the way down quite dramatically , Is there evidence of that yet ?

Not being funny genuinely asking

kirk.

If the masks come back I'm not wearing them

is_that_so

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118848071#Comment_118848071

The CMO says no need for any restrictions and quite a lot of the medical people giving their views on that accept that it is pointless. Some are leaning into the masks but that's just personal opinions and quite probably a level of projection. Everything run out officially on Wednesday so it's doubtful there will be any response.

mollser

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118848031#Comment_118848031

No probs - based on this swab data, the positivity rate and anecdotal evidence based mainly around schools!

https://covid19.shanehastings.eu/api/swabs/

_Kaiser_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118847938#Comment_118847938

You clearly haven't been reading the articles or listening to some of the news programmes where some are calling for exactly that in the return of mandatory mask wearing.

Sure have a look over in the Masks thread and you'll see posters doing the same - even militantly so.

Micky 32

Here we go 😡:

“”The HSE’s Emergency Department Taskforce is to

request that public health measures are

reconsidered by Government.

It follows a meeting of the taskforce this afternoon,

to discuss the pressures on emergency

departments in hospitals.

A letter requesting the reintroduction of public

health measures will be sent to the Minister for

Health and the Chief Medical Officer this evening.

"There is general concern now about the effect this

latest surge of Covid is having,"

' said Phil Ni

Sheaghdha, General Secretary of the INMO, who is

co-chair of the taskforce.””

“”We have public health experts and we expect them to deal with that, and we expect them to take immediate steps and recommend to government immediate steps that must be taken right now because this surge is so serious," said Ms Ni Sheaghdha.””

Amadan Dubh

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118848471#Comment_118848471

LOL.

Perpetual restrictions if they are reintroduced now when COVID is of little concern ("bad flu season", "exit wave") so we need to see our government not bow to the screaming, toys out of the pram minority. These guys are ridiculous, to think they still have the gall to blame the wider public for their own failings, that must be some job in the health sector of Ireland!

bear1

Watch them reinstate the mask now.

its astonishing how in the last few days the rampage going through the media with this

PTH2009

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118848737#Comment_118848737

Yeah and the lobby groups will keep at it til they get what they want

Masks back first and then they could also keep fighting for other 'restrictions'

Some in the media will be all over this

Gusser09

Theres just no turning back. No way. The warmer weather will help calm things things soon enough. Hold firm and keep going.

Everyone is getting so panicked about something that hasn’t happened yet, probably won’t, and, even in the unlikely event it does, will be for a short while until this wave is passed. And isn’t even that big a deal in the first place

bear1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118848758#Comment_118848758

If they reinstate them then I simply cannot see them being ever removed. an absolute farce

AlekSmart

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118848866#Comment_118848866

No panicking that I'm aware of,but a definite sense of unease at how a very closely focused Medico/Media cabal have managed to get their viewpoint this far out there.

It is unlikely that the Government will do the right thing and tell Phil O to take a running jump with her madcap craving for reintroducing the previous "Emergency" Public Health elements.

If Minister Donnelly had the backbone,he might ask the bould Phil to explain the true cause of this new "Emergency",as even the sceptics now know that it has fluich all to do with Covid,or any other virus,but far more to do with the cumulative scandalously poor,borderline negligent mismanagement of the HSE.

The entire tone of this persons self-regard can be gleaned from the RTE piece.

https://www.rte.ie/news/ireland/2022/0328/1288855-covid-ireland/

"There is general concern now about the effect this latest surge of Covid is having," said Phil Ni Sheaghdha, General Secretary of the Irish Nurses and Midwives Organisation, who is co-chair of the taskforce.

"The ICU numbers aren’t increasing but we have a high incidence of admission that the hospitals simply can’t cope with and that requires public health measures, to ensure those who are so sick, that are being admitted, can actually get treatment."

The taskforce wants specific public health measures to be introduced to deal with the "chaotic situation" in hospitals.

The INMO believes measures that have been relaxed, such as mask wearing, would be "very simple to reintroduce".

Ms Ni Sheaghdha appears to be on a power grab mission consequent upon the departure to the CMO & NPHET,yet again we have a "Skin in the Game" merchant attempting to force Government policy to follow their own beliefs.

Phil Ni Sheaghda should calm down,take a deep breath and go further out into the country,there is more to carrying out a real-world assessment than focusing on Hospital A & E departments and resultant admissions,particularly as so many of those attending and being admitted to these hospitals are not suffering any ill effects from Covid,but test positive upon arrival.

Covid 19 is NOT a mass killer,and no amount of bigging-up from Phil O'S is going to make it so,yet she wants to prolong the Illusion of a Public Health Emergency,when we have still not addressed the Public Health ADMINISTRATION emergency.

Mr Reid's €400,000 + p.a. as CEO has surely never been more questionable ?...not much from Phil on that topic I'll wager ? 😝

VG31

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118848866#Comment_118848866

Restrictions coming back in any form is a big deal. Yes wearing masks for another few weeks wouldn't be that bad in itself considering we had to wear them for 18 months. However, the reason it would be a big deal is it sets a very dangerous precedent. Any reimposition of restrictions because the HSE is under pressure in what, in the words of the CMO, is essentially a bad flu season, basically means we will likely face restrictions or a serious threat of them every winter. The HSE is overwhelmed every winter without fail. It's not a new phenomenon. Imposing such measures would have been unthinkable before 2020 but is a real possibility now. That is why it is so important that the government holds the line.

slystallone

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118837485#Comment_118837485

What about on the Ferries to Wales?

bear1

I heard on the radio today that the hse pulled in over 5 million last year in parking charges. 5 million.

Seems no matter how much money they rip off from the public and the government they will never ever have the money needed to actually sort their **** out. Yet they think restricting the public again will solve their issues. They need to be told to **** off once and for all.

bear1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118848990#Comment_118848990

again, it’s not legally enforceable

AlekSmart

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118848990#Comment_118848990

Probably best to bring a sackcloth to cover your head & shoulders....if this "Survey" is anything to go by....

https://www.rte.ie/news/claire-byrne-live/2022/0328/1288994-mandatory-mask-wearing-covid-poll/

The "survey" (small s) does come with a caveat.....and quite a considerable one at that....

The poll was carried out on Monday among a sample of 1,000 adults participating on their smartphones for tonight's Claire Byrne Live programme, which will be broadcast at 10:35pm on RTÉ One and RTÉ Player.

It is of some concern that RTE,the State broadcaster now appears aligned with the INMA Union in a joint crusade to cudgel people into complying with their chosen route.

Yet the same broadcaster cock's a snook at how Russian State Media "manipulates" the flow of information to it's usership base.....Pot,Kettle....every bit as Black !!!

Interestingly,Paul Reid had an interesting take on the NEW ! Emergency in the previously referenced article...

He said about half of Covid patients in hospital at present came in for other reasons.

"When we look at hospitalisations at the moment, 35% of those who are positive with Covid haven't had a vaccine and 50% of people in ICU haven't had a booster," he revealed.

So...am I missing something here,or 65% of those Positives ARE Vaccinated,and 50% of ICU cases HAVE had a booster ?....what is going on here ?..have the HSE PR people broken out the sweet-sherry pre broadcast ? 🙄

bear1

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118849112#Comment_118849112

That cracks me up, 65% of the Irish public.. not of respondents but the entire Irish public.

with the hse saying half of the cases are incidental it would be a wonder for any government to agree to their moronic demands

kirk.

This face off was going to happen I knew it

If these medics and media get the masks back now the country is a joke

Nphet and Philip Nolan and even varadkar says we don't need them

kirk.

Where's the government on this are they just waiting to see what way the wind blows or what's the crack with them

Someone needs to shout stop this time

_Kaiser_

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118849240#Comment_118849240

I think they're waiting for the not unexpected case surge post-removal of mask mandates to settle to get the picture.

Also warmer weather ahead so that will kill case numbers anyway too.

Plus with surging energy prices, surging house prices, and everything else that has been neglected, I'm not sure there's an appetite for rolling backwards now given this and the above.

Donnelly is the weak link here though. I haven't heard anything from Martin and Leo is against the reimposition of mandates so the next 72 hours are crucial.

If the legislation lapses as scheduled this week we'll be in the clear. If they extend the provisions (even if they don't activate any of them) it'll be a bad sign that they're going to cave to whatever NPHET 2.0 recommends on the back of selective public opinion.

Don't forget that RTE and the rest have made a fortune off the back of Covid and the constant coverage, advertising, and analysis. It's absolutely in their interests to keep it going. Ditto the unions who are more interested in keeping their membership dues than any concerns about public health.

As usual, it's about perspective and the agendas behind the scenes.

MOR316

https://twitter.com/Independent_ie/status/1508550422620946438

This country is an utter joke!

kirk.

Donnelly wavering doesn't know what to do ffs

Micky 32

https://www.boards.ie/discussion/comment/118849607#Comment_118849607

It’s typical clickbait. He was giving an opinion that if you wanted to stop the surge you would need severe restrictions. Just bringing back masks and some measures won’t cut it basically.

However  Mr Donnelly reiterated that the advice from the Chief Medical Officer Dr Tony Holohan is that there is currently no need for new restrictions.

if we really are having 700k cases a week it should peak and start dropping nicely soon.

kirk.

Donnelly will be out tomorrow recommending the masks

That might be it