What if they came up with a more poerful, lasting vaccine? Presumably they're still working on it
You could argue that we really didn't ever have a real lockdown. I don't see any lockdown at Christmas this year, perhaps a bit of tinkering with regulations and early school closing.
no Point in a lockdown, they’re half arsed and people don’t follow the rules anyway
Inactivated virus vaccines and viral vector vaccines have been tested by manufacturers to reduce infection/transmission and are somewhat effective (like J&J, Sputnik, various Indian/Chinese ones). My hunch is that they'll move towards these for vulnerable people next year when they assess how well (or poorly) mRNA worked during flu season for transmission.
I don't get the sense in using Pfizer/Moderna boosters when their trials still test symptomatic infection only, and waning will likely still be an issue.
Well, there were many on here (myself included) arguing that we should have been far less cautious in the summer months and not waited until the very jaws of winter to reopen. Those arguments were not listened to and many decided to stick with the moral absolutism of the “abundance of caution” approach — and here we are.
But rather than getting into a game of coulda-shoulda-wouldas, the failure to use the summer with a bit more courage and a bit less moral absolutism means that the government is left in the position where “waiting until summer” and breaking transmission of Covid would now realistically mean cutting off the means of socialising again until 2022. Because anything else is pointless — do a lockdown now and have a meaningful Christmas? Then all you get is they very same bottleneck of infection that we had last Christmas. Unless we close the means for young people to socialise until after the winter, the virus will just explode back on the scene at whatever arbitrary point during the winter we select to reopen.
The government needs to be braver in its message and put it to the people — Covid is here to stay, the transmission of the virus is now a reality we must all face (a reality that is made far less problematic by the vaccine), and those who wish to avoid it must take personal responsibility over the winter. The other option is more restrictions, potentially more lockdowns, and yet another poc fada of the can into another year of yo-yo liberties.
We never had a real lockdown? Don't you remember only leave your home for medicine, food and essential work. Isn't that enough of a lockdown.
I think the word is over used anyway, Are we moving towards high level of restrictions again? YES
75.4% of the population of Ireland are fully vaccinated.
If cases are still going up then that shows us that been fully vacinated doesnt stop you catching and/or spreading the vaccine.
I had this debate before with some some numbty . My claim was that when non vaccinated people were flying they were actually the safest people to sit next to as they would have had to get tested before hand where as the fully vaccinated could go on to the plane to and from different countries spreading the virus uncheced untested. And this is still je case now.
Gov and co bang on about the guidelines, 2meters, face mask etc. Yet they allowed most recent irealnd vs Portugal and Luxembourg and Ireland vs new New Zealand to go ahead with out anyone abiding by the guidelines. Not one commentator mentions covid or lack of adherence to covid guidelines from fans during any of the matches.
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You seem to have missed that not once have I advocated for, or expected a return to lockdown. Not in any thread.
All I have ever asked of anyone, was for them to get vaccinated, follow hand sanitising procedures, wear masks (properly) were mandated (e.g. public transport, retail) and socially distance where possible. Nothing more.
In other words, do their bit and continue to show a bit of consideration, instead of acting like covid doesn't exist anymore. Because for all they know the person sitting beside them on the bus or in line at the supermarket may be high risk, but that person has no choice but to take the bus to work and they have to eat too.
But apparently, that's asking too much.
It is not possible and its unrealistic to expect that every person with higher risk can just "avoid" it. Especially not at cases numbers in their thousands every day.
So I have to disagree with you, my anger is not misdirected. My anger is directed straight at those who refuse to make the effort to do even that much to keep the numbers down. (And plenty have stated they don't care about protecting the vulnerable on this forum).
There isn't a person in this country who's life has not been upended by 2 years of severe restrictions. Everybody has made an extreme effort, everybody has done more than their bit.
And they should continue doing so, until we are actually out of this, not fall before the finish line just because they're tired or fed up with it.
I agree it is overused now. It isn't clear what it means now.
Let’s hope the 8% who account for 52% of admissions make more effort.
When or where is this finish line?
those wishing to avoid it taking personal responsibility is unworkable because a small minority ruin it for them, just like they do for the rest of us meaning we end up with restrictions.
this is why ultimately we need covid passports for everything, the likes of no jab no job etc, because a small minority are refusing to get it.
A lockdown is what happened in Wuhan with the population confined to their homes and the military distributing supplies. And you dared not break the rules.
We have only ever had restrictions that could at worst be described as mildly irritating.
The term "lockdown" has never been correct. We have restrictions.
'Hospitality' to face midnight curfew from Thursday. Surely that's the kibosh on nightclubs?
Longest most restrictive lockdown in Europe. It didn’t work. It was zero Covid nut jobs who led us to where we are now.
Do you know anything about the attributes of the unvaccinated in ICU, aside from their vaccination status? You're implying that they didn't get vaccinated because they refuse to make "more effort", do you know for a fact that they didn't get vaccinated for this reason?
Its a figure of speech, as I'm sure you know. I hope you weren't expecting an actual fixed date?
What we do know is that scientists are working on developing better ways to treat this virus and better vaccines.
No pandemic has ever not ended. So hang in there, kitty.
We never had the most restrictive lockdown in Europe. In France and Spain at times you needed basically permission slips to leave your house. Many European countries had curfews.
In comparison our 'lockdown' was about the weakest 'lockdown' you could have.
We had restrictions of some form for longer than anyone else in Europe but pubs shut, schools shut, barbers shut - is not a lockdown.
There may be a connection.
Pal I was sitting inside a pub in Portugal watching the euros, while people on here were posting such nonsense. Ireland has been a complete basket case.
every country had restrictions, every country had periods of severe restrictions, I fully support that. But irelands was protracted and excessive, an extreme outlier, as we had the lowest testing rate in the world and instead relied in closing non essential shops.
Short memory? At points, unless we were going for food or medicine, we were only allowed to leave our house to exercise and had to stay within 2km. It was national news in January when somebody left their 5km radius to go buy a burger.
Mildly irritating??
The first lockdown meant that many people could not open their businesses, some businesses actually closed forever as a result of lockdown. Government support wasn't enough to make up for the loss in business.
People couldn't travel outside their 2km at one point, the guards were everywhere demanding to know where people were going.
Some peoples mental health suffered extremely badly and they have not recovered yet.
People were not allowed to visit loved ones or family members, even from outside a window.
There were children whose parents had fought for extra support in schools etc. who regressed due to lack of access to that support due to lockdown.
I could go on and on and on listing things that could not be described as only "mildly irritating"!
Is there a medical contraindication to vaccination? If there isn’t, it is fair to assume that status depends on personal decisions.
Our lockdowns were very relaxed compared to some countries-
India- people getting hit with battons- https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nchRqzcDVzU
France- permit needed to leave house & can only do so for 1 hour a day
etc.
I'm not the one with the short memory. how about googling what a lockdown meant in other European countries versus this one.
This is France and their travel exemption form.
https://www.connexionfrance.com/French-news/France-lockdown-What-papers-do-I-need-to-leave-the-house-in-December
I don't care what happened elsewhere. You said:
And I'm reminding you that this was not the extent of our lockdowns.
It was mildly irritating for some, very frustrating for others.
The ‘mental health’ card gladly isn’t opening many doors for people because as I’ve been preaching for a time...people doing that are and have been found out...
” sorry I don’t want to pay for my groceries today as it will affect my mental health “
” sorry I’m not going to adhere to stopping at red lights driving today as it will affect my mental health “
aka... people believe they have a credible reason not to be team players and having to think about the welfare of others.. been found out.
Even personal decisions may not be selfish decisions. For example some significant proportion in hospital are pregnant women.
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