Covid 19 Part XXXIV-249,437 ROI(4,906 deaths) 120,195 NI (2,145 deaths)(01/05)Read OP

The Great Gatsby wrote: »

I could be wrong on this so feel free to correct me, but US citizens can fly from Ireland to the US without having to quarantine for two weeks in a hotel back in the US at their expense . . . Irish citizens, however, flying from the US to Ireland must quarantine for two weeks in a hotel in Dublin (even if they are fully vaccinated, even if they have a negative Covid test three days before their flight, and even if they have a family in Ireland where they can self-quarantine . . . so, it's not exactly the same).

US travelers won't have to quarantine until the 15th.
But it begs the question, whats the point of PCR tests before flying?
They use to be accepted, now we need a quarantine.
Likewise vaccines, ok we don't have vaccine passports and I haven't seem many countries (if any) introduce them. Without a global system they are useless to police.
But if you arrive in Ireland and get tested positive for antibodies (ie vaccination) and the and get tested with PCR and it's negative, why can't you skip quarantine?

These discussions we're having is all fine if we're back in April 2019 and trying for zero covid. Right now it's pointless.

Wolf359f wrote: »

US travelers won't have to quarantine until the 15th.
But it begs the question, whats the point of PCR tests before flying?
They use to be accepted, now we need a quarantine.
Likewise vaccines, ok we don't have vaccine passports and I haven't seem many countries (if any) introduce them. Without a global system they are useless to police.
But if you arrive in Ireland and get tested positive for antibodies (ie vaccination) and the and get tested with PCR and it's negative, why can't you skip quarantine?

These discussions we're having is all fine if we're back in April 2019 and trying for zero covid. Right now it's pointless.

The U.K. also have mandatory hotel quarantine, have had it longer than us and still have it in place. I don't see the same furore there as there is here

Wolf359f wrote: »

I just get the feeling the UK are looking for serious strains in a high incidence that could cause issues to them.

Here they have a dart board with a world map and they are throwing a dart blindfolded and then justifying why that country should be added.
(you know it's Eamonn Ryan spinning MM or Leo around while he sings 'you spin me right round baby, right round'

Some of the countries on the list are bizarre alright, Israel being the obvious one even though it's off it now. Countries will go on and off over time so it's not permanent. I think the U.K. found a few cases of the Brazilian variant and hunted the people down asap. They're concerned and so should we be

https://news.sky.com/story/brazil-variant-where-in-the-uk-was-it-found-is-it-more-deadly-and-do-vaccines-work-against-it-12232126

wes wrote: »

Correction, Israel doesn't want to vaccinate Palestinians in the occupied territories.

Correction. The Palestinian Authority is responsible for health care in the West Bank and Gaza. Palestinian's resident in Israel are vaccinated.

Whatever about non EU countries being added to the list, I do have reservations about adding countries that we need as allies in the future.
We have approx 450 cases a day here at present, schools and many work settings are reopening on Monday, yet we're worrying about people flying in from France or Italy who have had to show a negative test to get on a flight anyway.

Not saying we shouldn't be easing restrictions on Monday, just that we need to accept a certain level of rise in cases next week. So again, how bad is the problem of spread from our EU neighbours.

Happydays2020 wrote: »

Positive

https://twitter.com/paulreiddublin/status/1380792645572833282?s=21

We do need to hear more from Paul Reid as he gets the mix between the need to be both cautious and positive better than many of the rest of them.

Yeah great Paul Reid being so positive but really nothing is changing in the short term.
If you think back to when that story was broken in the Irish daily mail during an interview with Micheal Martin that lockdown was to continue for another 9 weeks until the beginning of May..there was absolute pandemonium, people were tearing their hair out.
But really if you look at the upcoming "relaxation" of restrictions..if you are under 30 (with no kids), don't work in construction and living in a county away from the cities there really is nothing in it. Most of us are effectively still in a level 5 lockdown until beginning of May.

Also funny that the government decided to space out the relaxation of restrictions across the month when NPHET warned of the surge a few weeks back but now no such thing has materialised they won't bring it forward again. So bloody frustrating.

Happydays2020 wrote: »

Positive

https://twitter.com/paulreiddublin/status/1380792645572833282?s=21

How are the backlogs Paul?

landofthetree wrote: »

He is generally much more optimistic.

If he is saying that what will Nphet be thinking?

I dont understand. If the vaccines are as good as being reported we should be returning to normal.

mean gene wrote: »

420 k a year for a few tweets and radio interviews nice

Ah sure god love him,probably the most work he’s done since taking the job.
Probably need a pay rise when it’s over

NIMAN wrote: »

Funny how the head of the HSE is being positive, while NPHET continue to be as miserable and negative as f**k.

Look on the bright side.
Between the two of them that's a 50% positivity rate.

AdamD wrote: »

Its difficult to have any faith in the competency of the people making the decisions on mandatory quarantine when the issue of somebody being already vaccinated but eligible for quarantine appears to have not been considered at all.

Sure can't be trusting dem forineers to do their jobs right or to actually even vaccinate to begin with..

hmmm wrote: »

Israel never had a problem with VoC's and was added to the list.

Other countries appear to be being considered because they have a higher rate of Covid than we have (e.g. most of the EU countries). Why that is relevant is beyond me, people are required to get a test beforehand so the risk is low.

No-one seems to have a clue what the criteria is, yet someone is producing lists of countries.

When did a stealth zero Covid become government policy, and why now?

Not so.

The South African variant in February was found to make up 1% of all cases in Israel (equivalent to 8-10,000 cases) and is believed to have come via the United Arab Emirates, as well as from South Africa, Tanzania, Turkey, Tajikistan and France.

There's concern over the South African variant as its the only one so far to have been linked to a lower effectiveness to vaccinations. And it has also caused reinfection among those recovering from COVID-19.

Approx 60% of Israel’s population has received at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccine
- that still leaves a sizable number who haven't .

Its also important to note that current official data shows unvaccinated make up majority of Israel's COVID deaths

What MHQ here does do is discourage those who choose to come here and stop the further spread of such variants.

It also catches those who do arrive from these countries and go on to develop covid even if that is a small number

The few known cases we already have do not need to be added to. And therefore, precaution must still be taken.

https://www.thejc.com/news/israel/warning-that-south-african-coronavirus-variant-is-out-of-control-in-israel-1.512502

https://www.timesofisrael.com/pfizer-vaccine-less-effective-against-south-african-variant-israeli-study-finds/

That said I see Ireland has now removed Israel from the MHQ list. I can only presume that there is current data on the risk of SA variant has decreased due to vaccinations there etc.

Though looks like Isreal could have other problems.

https://www.timesofisrael.com/pfizer-said-to-warn-israel-pay-up-or-go-to-back-of-vaccine-line/

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