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

It's a live option until it's decided it's not. The government don't want to go down that route and they continually emphasize their success in getting things open. So that brings us back to another 2 weeks, in the sense that NHPE have predicted the peak for round about then. So far they look like hitting the case numbers and the bottom end of ICU numbers but with hospital numbers down today that looks way out.

In truth we probably have reached a point where NPHET genuinely haven't a clue, not through bad models but because it is becoming almost impossible to figure out what the link is between cases and hospitalisations and to model that.

Personally don't believe we will see another lockdown but some reversal of restrictions may happen if things go really badly. Can't really guess at what that might be as that is a mystery known only to government!

Nobody wants to.

This whole thing, and especially the last few weeks, has been characterised by a scramble to blame anyone else but themselves.

The billions pumped into the hse over the years has been mismanaged and the health service is now not fit for purpose.

They bet on the vaccines solving the problem and that has not happened.

Now all they've got blame. Blame the tiny percentage unvaccinated, blame the children, blame the public. Blame anyone as long as no one blames them.

covid is going nowhere... dont fix the one controllable in all of this though, the health service...

Well if we are to use 9/11 as example of how lax security caused one of the worst terrorist acts on the planet, then we may as well use the lax hygiene and sanitary controls they had in China.

We will need to live with the virus, just like we live with any other virus out there. We adapt and move on, do I think it's possible to head back to our 2019 lives? Yes.

Do I think there's an appetite for it within the Government? Not so sure.

The thing is we aren't even 99% back to our normal lives, we will have constant surges, then it will die down, then surge again. Hulahoop himself said there will be surges.

But there has been nothing but fear mongering for near on a week now about the increase, it's like utter panic setting in within the media and then again ramming it down our throats.

What more can a population do? Those that aren't vaccinated aren't the problem, it's our terrible health service.

100 people in ICU and we've people saying that lockdowns may be needed. What number is acceptable then? 5?

All he's really saying is use rapid antigen tests. Article looks like it was written last Christmas and screams agenda very loudly. He may be right but he'll be another "expert" on a permanent media tour anyway.

I think I saw the other day Glynn saying we should protect the vulnerable. Deja vu..

And today I see he has said to parents that they should be asking their children about the activities outside and question if they are indeed necessary.

Fcuk off...

I don't necessarily disagree with you, but far better health systems than ours have found themselves in serious trouble with this. Totally agree ours is a shambles and has been for 20 years or more (not the fault of the frontline staff).

You said it yourself, we adapt, so surely that implies some adjustments to how we do things ? Has there ever been a world changing event that didn't result in change ? Personally I think there will be some permanent legacies from all this, even if they're relatively small and trivial like hand sanitisers in places we would never have seen them before, or something bigger like, I dunno, only 4 people allowed in a lift or something.

I don't think its the 100 people in ICU is the problem per se, its that we're almost maxed out and the knock on effect that has on "normal" hospital procedures. If we had 1,000 ICU beds and 990 of them occupied it would be the same scenario.

I'm not defending the HSE for a moment, nor do I think lockdowns will ever be needed here again, but I think its more complex than open it up and see what happens. Pandemics run their course, and countries are all so interdependent on each other now, its very hard for one country to not be impacted by a surge close by.

"our 2019 lives are not coming back"

I'll eat my had if we are not back to 2019 type lives by 2023 at the latest. It's a global pandemic, it will be over eventually (hopefully next year!) and while covid will still be around, it'll be like influenza or like any other respiratory illness that 99% of people dont think of in their day to day lives.

Many have just switched off from this nonsense. Apart from the large Conservative section of Ireland that listen to RTE and Newstalk.

Eat your Had 🤔😏

What question would you like him to be asked ?

Adjustments yes, like you said, the legacy of this will never go away. If hand sanitisers were the be all and end all of it then I think we could all say we did well.

But living under constant threat of lockdown, or cancelled surgeries, banned travel, kids being told they shouldn't really play with other kids, masks here and there is not a life. It's a prison sentence.

As a whole, we need to move on from this. We are close to our 2nd year of the pandemic, we are in this almost as long as the Spanish Flu lasted. I really can't see them removing all remaining restrictions in February like they said they might a few weeks ago.

Yep agree with those points, I seriously doubt the 500 inspections touted as happened over last weekend seriously happened, more like a dozen I'd reckon.

Absolutely. The trivial adjustments will probably be permanent and barely noticed, but they'll be there all the same.

The threat of lockdowns etc and all that, will recede with time, its just a question of how long. I think lockdowns are totally off the table and unnecessary at this point anyway, but other things like masks and generally being careful about what we do, will be around for a while yet. I've no idea how long but I don't think anyone anywhere does at this point.

I'd thrown in as well that comment he made that we should be treating people who have covid or the flu that leave their homes as akin to drink driving.