Relaxation of restrictions Part II

Apologies if this has already been answered here but is it today that it will be announced what changes if any there will be to the restrictions? If so, what time ?

Bizarely thinking that it's only an old person's problem does not help anyone

Comparing people who disagree with you on the restrictions to Vichy Nazi collaborators who transport Jews to concentration camps is very helpful though.

Interesting article here on California closing beaches. Experts not convinced: https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2020/apr/30/california-beaches-closed-coronavirus-risks-experts

Andrew Noymer, public health professor at the University of California, Irvine: “The era of lockdowns is ending, and the era of trade-offs is beginning. People aren’t going to shelter in place for 15 months. I would rather see crowded beaches than a crowded indoor shopping mall.”

retro:electro wrote: »

Am I understanding this correctly- according to this leaked timeline, there will be three weeks/ one month between each stage. And there may even be the possibility that we will have to move back a stage if it’s “not working”. Meaning it could be well into August before some services and small business will be open?
Does Leo think the public are actually going to accept this?
****ing grim.

There is still relatively broad acceptance across the public. A poll this week found a majority would support keeping the restrictions in place if necessary. I think a review every 2-4 weeks is about the right balance of giving people something to aim for without changing so quickly that you can't keep a lid on things.

Anecdotally, virtually everyone I have spoken to is already mentally prepared for it to be September until we're back to "mostly normal"; this is, cafes, pubs and restaurants beginning to reopen.

It might be grim, but it's necessary.

SusanC10 wrote: »

Apologies if this has already been answered here but is it today that it will be announced what changes if any there will be to the restrictions? If so, what time ?

It will be at an unspecified suitable time in the future thats as close as possible to a time they dont really know yet but we will continue as we are and they will tell you as soon as is feasible.

tobefrank321 wrote: »

Yes we had a look at Italy. Predominately an illness of the elderly, obese and/or those with underlying conditions such as hypertension, diabetes, etc A very targeted illness that demands a very targeted response.

Here we locked down everyone and forgot to properly lockdown nursing homes.

We still leave positive cases in nursing homes, which risks contaminating other residents, staff and the wider community. We still use nursing homes as step down facilities from hospitals which risks bring covid19 in there, and I believe one of the conditions of recent help to nursing homes was they'd take in more patients which if true is almost a murderous mistake. There's also a risk that HSE carers are going between homes because of staff shortages, with the risk of spreading it that way. The speed at which it spread in nursing homes shows there was no serious effort to target them.

Shutting down the community is the lazymans approach to a very specific problem. Its akin to shutting down roads because of car accidents caused by speeding or drunk drivers. You target the specific cause, not shut everything down.

The disease can affect any age any group. The young, the middle aged and the elderly. Medical research indicates that over 60% of the worlds population will become infected at some point. And all age groups have significant numbers of people with both short term various medical and long term conditions.

Why the need for restrictions? Exactly because just about anyone can get it and all those can spread it. Hence the restictions to control the spread of the disease and to stop health services being overwhelmed - like Italy.

Nursing homes across the world are unfortunately being badly affected - not just Ireland. The reasons for this is because the people living there cannot socially isolate and have vulnerable people who live alongside the healthy. But more importantly nursing homes cannot be completely isolated from the wider community. Nurses, staff, catering is all required to keep these homes happens. The staff and other personal live in the wider community. Get rid of those restrictions and the infection rate will climb and more people in the community will increasingly bring the disease to those in such settings .

Restrictions are there for these exact and very good reasons. That some refuse to acknowledge that is neither here nor there.

the kelt wrote: »

But i recognise the plight of others outside my own little bubble which it seems others dont and i recognise that ordinary people are being blamed and scapegoated whilst the powers that be have simply not stepped up to the plate in terms of testing tracing etc.

We are not all in this together, "its a case of do as i say and not as i do" yet not once have i seen any semblance of admission from the HSE etc of their own failings.

We have massively increased our testing capacity and healthcare capacity in the space of a few weeks. The Health Service have done an amazing job - there was always going to be people who were ready to criticise them with the benefit of hindsight, everyone gets to choose whether you want to be one of them.

We are dealing with a dangerous new virus where there is little clear scientific evidence of how it is spread, and how it can be treated. Testing and contact tracing alone has only worked in Korea as part of a range of other measures - including very intrusive apps which track people's movements. We don't have the same society as Korea - 3 weeks ago it was all "clap for carers", now it is "screw the restrictions".

Yes we have done "everything we have been asked", but the virus will dictate how quickly we can reopen parts of society - you can look for someone to blame if you wish.

stephenjmcd wrote: »

I dont think anyone is arguing against the phased reopening it's the proper way to do things.

What's annoying people is being told constantly we're doing well but not well enough, when the vast majority of the general public have done what's been asked of them and seem to be still getting the blame for want of a better phrase as to why we're not in a position to start the phased reopening. When the HSE and dept of health have been talking about meeting this target of 15k tests a day for the last 4 weeks, likewise contact tracing not up to scratch. The public have done what's been asked, the powers that be haven't

You know at this stage I'd actually happy enough if Leo came out and said "Look, we know how to suppress this thing with mass-testing. We know what we need and we know how to ramp it up. We'll have it all in place on May 18th or whatever". Praised the public for continuing efforts and give us an indication of what'll be eased.

Lads, we've fcuked it.

We've given the doctors a sledgehammer, put the Covid-19 nut on the plate glass economy-tabletop and told them to give it their best shot.

Anyone who can should be buying guns and gold.

mandrake04 wrote: »

It was always going be a long term process, as you flatten the curve you spread out the time line and try and control it somewhat.






People are going get infected.

Unless of course you suppress it (cut of the supply completely, close down everything, shops, off-licence, you practically live in a bubble) then you will have a shorter timeline as you cut of the viruses chance to reproduce.

First time I've seen that graph with a timeline tbh, always thought they left it off because no one has a clue when this will end.

hmmm wrote: »

We have massively increased our testing capacity and healthcare capacity in the space of a few weeks. The Health Service have done an amazing job - there was always going to be people who were ready to criticise them with the benefit of hindsight, everyone gets to choose whether you want to be one of them.

We are dealing with a dangerous new virus where there is little clear scientific evidence of how it is spread, and how it can be treated. Testing and contact tracing alone has only worked in Korea as part of a range of other measures - including very intrusive apps which track people's movements. We don't have the same society as Korea - 3 weeks ago it was all "clap for carers", now it is "screw the restrictions".

Yes we have done "everything we have been asked", but the virus will dictate how quickly we can reopen parts of society - and there is no-one to blame for this.

Thats your opinion which is fine, we are all entitled to it, i disagree but such is life. By the way its not only the HSE i have issues with, the failures of government i find issue with and generally im not one to go down that line, politics doesnt interest me.

Only time will tell, if we have done such a great job with testing, tracing etc how come it looks like we will be the last country in europe to begin easing restrictions substantially?

But on your last point, no one is to blame, it is what it is, i would agree with that but then we have the the ordinary joe being threatened last week by the powers that be that its their fault etc for restrictions not being lifted etc etc so where does the "theres no one to blame" rhetoric fit there?

What Username Guidelines wrote: »

You know at this stage I'd actually happy enough if Leo came out and said "Look, we know how to suppress this thing with mass-testing. We know what we need and we know how to ramp it up. We'll have it all in place on May 18th or whatever". Praised the public for continuing efforts and give us an indication of what'll be eased.

Mass testing will not suppress this, it will only help to suppress it.

Social distancing and the ban on gatherings are probably the key measures which have suppressed the virus so far. They will have to continue, with some exceptions if possible.