What Username Guidelines wrote: » I think the problem with going to lockdown and then seeing sweden having similar successes without a lockdown, is dialling us back to non-lockdown with social distancing. Because people are frustrated with lockdown there is a pressure valve that will be released with easing restrictions. People who dont follow news/info as attentively will think it's over completely and go back to no social distancing and visiting friends and family. The other part is educating the entire population of the ramifications of relaxing. If they say for example you can have social gatherings with 4 people, a lot of people will push that and meet 4 different people every day and be smug how they're "getting away with it" or even think that it cannot be policed, when in reality it needs to be self-policed. In Sweden it appears they understand the importance of social distancing and protecting others and so do it automatically. At least from what I've read. Overall though, while getting some people back to work will help the economy and social welfare bill, opening retail in limited capacity will be difficult and revenue will be impacted heavily. People buying a few pots of paint wont fund the health service, so I think we need to stop thinking about getting back to where we were but instead have new ways of thinking like generating revenue for business in new ways - heavy move to online, delivery, contactless collection, etc.
road_high wrote: » For the hundredth time. Without business generating tax revenues- you don’t have the money to treat people. Why is this such a struggle for some people to get?
drunkmonkey wrote: » There currently recruiting drone pilots and beachball counters.
Tacitus Kilgore wrote: » Be grand, we can borrow (basically) an unlimited amount of makey-uppey money
pjohnson wrote: » So they are creating employment? Is that not good for the economy? Or is this conspiracy/fantasy time?
road_high wrote: » Yes the bury our heads in the sand approach will do wonders for the economy. Why not just all sit at home online and it’ll run itself. Anyway who really needs €70 billion per year to run a country?
joseywhales wrote: » If opening a business leads to more people in ICU then the "cost of business" is higher than any tax revenue they produce.
dePeatrick wrote: » Another three weeks of restrictions and we will have this virus well and truly contained. This could give us the gap we need to contain the virus and get in with life as normal as is possible. Lifting restrictions now will mean having to enforce them again within six weeks.
road_high wrote: » And how do we service the debt? We may borrow (for the moment, but that will change). It’s paying back the interest on top of what we owe already from current expenditure that is the issue. But sure there’s no issue so carry on
JeffKenna wrote: » Are our ten year bonds not now at negative interest rates?
easypazz wrote: » I see on the RTE news feed that around the world the news is largely positive, deaths and new cases falling, businesses reopening. The game is up for Cervicalcheck Holohan and his chums.
glasso wrote: » ok - supposed to have come from the civil service. take from it what you will. that's all I know. but the changes are so incremental I'm not sure why someone would bother to fake it. Very much says to me "We don't really know what to do next so 5km, waiting to see what the Germans do"
road_high wrote: » Hope you’re right. They seem like dogs with a bone though, unwilling to let go or listen to more nuanced views. Mustn’t be enough pressure on state finances (yet).
titan18 wrote: » That would seem fair enough to me. Think hardware stores should include likes of electrical hardware too, so Harvey Norman/Currys etc could reopen then too.
richie_os wrote: » An increase to 5km would be a slap in the face for a lot of people. I live alone, and I have adhered completely to the restrictions but haven't seen my partner, or any friends or family since early March. I will be driving beyond the 5km after the 5th of May, while continuing social distancing.
drunkmonkey wrote: » So the beaches and parks are open but you can only go 5km. Or is that just limited to exercise, like I can take a flagging to the park if it's over 5km but I must sit on my hole and not break a sweat. I think that's fake to be honest from listening to one of the doctors on newstalk this morning. I also think the advisory committee meet on a Tuesday not Monday.
titan18 wrote: » As plenty of people have said before the 2km, and then 5km is for exercise only. It refers to nothing else. Below would seem to preclude you from visiting family/partner really, although no one is stopping anyone anyway.