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

That's disgusting and disturbing

Regarding Austria, it gets far worse;

The introduction of “2G+” where in addition of a vaccine cert, you also need a PCR test not older than 48 hours to enter pubs, restaurants, theatres, etc is an absolute nightmare and renders the vaccine certs as absolutely pointless! This is extremely worrying if it’s going to be adopted as the norm across Europe.

I am booked to go to Vienna just before Christmas, but obviously that doesn’t look like happening now and I’ll have to cut my losses with Ryanair as I’m sure they won’t refund.

Yep, it's shocking levels of unvaccinated.

Why is that do we know?

24% of the population of Ireland isn't fully vaccinated, versus 33% is in the UK. They have almost one and a half times as many unvaccinated people as we do, yet far fewer restrictions on society. But nobody in the UK is being denied medical treatment. Their hospitals aren't overrun.

The only way we can get to a higher % of adults having antibodies against COVID in Ireland is by opening up and letting people get covid. Theres no point in cowering in lockdowns any more, waiting for some magic bullet, nothing is coming along to save us. And we're not convincing the few remaining adults who aren't vaccinated to get vaccinated at this stage.

We need to accept we're all going to get covid, and live with covid now, as the UK is doing.

Are you purposely ignoring the bit of information that undoes your entire post?

98% of adults in the UK have SARS-COV2 antibodies, acquired either by infection or vaccination. They don't need certs because it's not a novel virus there anymore, the cost of that was a very high death rate and not treating many people in care homes.

In Ireland we aren't at that rate as the unvaccinated are still taking up a majority of hospital space of those infected with COVID, when that number drops to 1:1 (currently 12-16:1), then COVID certs will be pointless in Ireland as well.

But again:

No restrictions and stop treating some people

restrict the unvaccinated

restrict certain groups (e.g. the vulnerable)

restrict everyone

They are the options, I even added one if you want to choose it, just remember to properly define the group you don't want to treat (your current choice) or want to restrict. Is it not an easy choice to make.

How can you deny treatment to someone? It’s no exaggeration to say that’s Nazi level stuff.

By not bringing them to hospital, that's what happened in care homes last year.

If you are against all restrictions you need to have a plan in place to decide who to treat and who not to when hospital capacity runs out. Not a choice I would make but the anti-restrictions cloud also seem to be aghast at it in their stupidity.

Coronavirus is the best thing that ever happened that fella. He has a vested interest in seeing this prolonged as long as possible. These sorts need to be identified and thrown to the wind as soon as possible. Pandemic merchants.

Why would it cause the numbers to drop when vaccinated people still become infected and still infect others, and even more so as time passes from vaccination. Theres no logic behind it other than punishing the unvaccinated

He’s not always telling us restrictions will be coming back.

He’s been one of the most positive commentators of the whole period of COVID.

I have a serious amount of respect for the guy.

We know it's less than 98% as the ratio of unvaccinated to vaccinated in hospital isn't anywhere near 1:1.

We are at about 66% capacity with the current restriction levels, it's fair to say if they lifted all restrictions that we'll run out of capacity very soon and have to make the choices above.

But you are still on the lift restrictions and deny treatment choice but haven't accepted the reality that it will mean denying treatment.

You can find the numbers in the UK weekly vaccine surveillance report, but their number is about 5:1 vaccinated in hospital vs. unvaccinated. Less than half of our rate allowing them to manage much better without restrictions and certificates (depending on age group it's as low as 2:1).

Is that a new requirement ? Not arguing with you or anything, I can’t read the German article. I was under the impression that 3G meant vaccinated, recovered or negative test, and that 2G removed the negative test and it was just vaccinated or recovered to get into places. Completely open to correction, just genuinely curious.

Not me. Sorry if you were. Sounds terrible.

So you have no idea what the antibody prevalence rate of the Irish population is, is the actual answer? You're just speculating in fear and throwing out wild theories.

Here are some actual, verifiable, statistics for you:

24% of the population of Ireland isn't fully vaccinated, versus 33% of the UK population.

10% of the population of Ireland has had covid, 14% of the population of the UK has had covid.

That 4% difference is nowhere near enough of a difference to compensate for the 9% difference in vaccination rates.

And on top of that our vaccine program finished months later than theirs, so the average vaccinated Irish person also has a higher level of antibodies, providing more protection. Our vaccination program also relied far more on Pfizer than Astrazeneca, the UK's primary vaccine - and Pfizer has been shown to give longer lasting, higher levels of antibody protection. Ireland also has a significantly younger population than the UK. Age is the #1 risk factor for covid hospitalization.

.. all of which means theres absolutely no justification in calling for more restrictions in Ireland, claiming "oh no ignore whats actually happening in the UK, where everything is fine. Ireland will be completely different and SO MUCH WORSE". You need to get over your irrational terror and accept life has to return to normal.