Covid 19 Part XXXI-187,554 ROI (2,970 deaths) 100,319 NI (1,730 deaths)(24/01)Read OP

seamus wrote: »

We didn't do it before, we're unlikely to do it this time.

As far as I can tell, there has never been a curfew in the Republic, ever, and the last time there was a curfew was in Dublin during the war of independence.

The optics of a curfew are very draconian, authoritarian. It's not really in our DNA.

The optics of a lot of things that aren't really in our DNA hasn't eventually stopped them from being implemented when the time came over the last ten months - pub closures, business closures, travel limits, household visit limits.

All of the above would have come as a inconceivable to all of us in January 2020, nevertheless they happened.

A lot of things that were deemed unlikely, impossible in some cases, to occur have come to pass - even after we'd become inured to Covid life.

Schools being closed, again.
Restrictions before Christmas, again.
5km limit, again.
Wildly escalating case numbers before Christmas.

All of the above were at one stage or another, over the last 4 weeks, deemed to be very unlikely, even impossible.

I think a curfew is far from impossible if numbers don't decline.

We have to stop thinking that because we've never done something in the past that it won't be done in the future depending on circumstance. That rule has been upended many, many times since this began.

I don't think a curfew is imminent today or tomorrow, but everything is dependant on what happens over the next week. If numbers don't decline measures will get tougher - and if they still don't decline then measures will get tougher still. You can take that to the bank.

I think we are in danger of falling into the trap of just assuming that this is just like March again and while March/April was tough, we eventually got through it and we have an idea of what to expect, whereas I think this wave is a different beast entirely. I hope that I'm wrong and that we'll see some signs soon of a turnaround, but we, equally, have to be prepared to face the reality that it's worse than what we've had before and that potentially further developments and measures to counteract those, which we find unpalatable and even unlikely right now, are, in actual fact, far from impossible.

Think i just heard NI aren't doing exams this year.

They must not be reopening their schools

Does anyone know where I can see rules employers are supposed to implement at work for those in the hospitality sector? Particularly in relation to social distancing of staff?

duffmann wrote: »

Just heard about a guy who got a positive test result text message while waiting in the departure lounge to board a plane. Decided not to go and got a taxi into the city centre instead. He went to the bar where he reckons he picked up the virus and had a few drinks. Thanks MM for reopening bars.

So the guy knew he was positive and decided to go to a city centre pub and it's all MM's fault,okaaaay

ginoginelli wrote: »

Idiots like that should never have been given opportunity to go. Mm and his pals in the vintners are responsible for that.

Yup but then you're depriving the majority who aren't idiots just because of the smaller percentage of idiots

If you kept things closed to stop the idiots then nothing would be open

is_that_so wrote: »

Backlog has been cleared but it could be up to two days more of very high numbers.

No it hasn't. Theres about 9-10k of positive swabs that haven't been reported as cases

Handy overview here:

https://twitter.com/gavreilly/status/1346795402574647297

Colm Henry - bad, of serious concern but not breaking the health system.

He said a pessimistic projection would see demand in ICU move beyond the current bed capacity of 286.

However, he said, by using intensive care activities in other settings, they can "still maintain good quality of care up to about 350 beds, but beyond that it would be difficult, we wouldn't be dealing with the usual types of intensive care, it's not something that we want to see."

ixoy wrote: »

We had the lowest numbers in Europe for a while - hardly disastrous. Yes, it's messed up now but it hasn't always been a bad response.

We did , and they blew it by opening retail and hospitality and then allowing a free for all over Christmas