Will there be another lockdown?

I think the hospitals are the obvious issue at the moment. We are largely restriction free currently even with that threat.

I think if the hospitals were in a better position then we’d be pretty much restriction free now, barring masks perhaps and some other high risk activities.

The 5% are causing alot of these issues ironically.

At any stage, do you get embarrassed falling for this every time?

It wouldn't at all surprise me to see some form of lockdown/more stringent restrictions/call it what you will, come early December. A 2 week "circuit breaker" to allow people to have a "meaningful Christmas". People will go absolutely balubas over the Christmas period anyway which will drive cases so the logical option is to try and stem the tide before the floodgates ultimately open.

You'd have a pain in your bollix with the whole fuckin lot of it. 🙄

The hospital's have always been the issue. Moreso now when we have s vaccine but cannot live with covid until we have more healthcare infrastructure.

Now is the time to reform the health sector.

Sounds like a lockdown is not going to happen. Fair play to NPHET for holding firm. The anti restrictions crowd will need something else to get outraged about.

That's what they came out with a week or so ago. It's just planning and also not to assume normality this year and by the looks of things the public are cancelling plans anyway.

I'd say they're expecting a post Christmas spike. He numbers aren't coming down so the only way for them to go over the Christmas weeks is up.

People talk a lot about Christmas day and sitting around the table spreading covid. I'd say that's The least of it. You're probably far more likely to pick up covid on a crowded 20 minute bus journey than a Christmas day in a house with 5 family members. I'd say the numbers will go up from the socialising, office parties, additional high street shopping and other Christmas activities. But those things involve spending money and businesses making money.

Pubs, restaurants and shops would be hit far harder by closing in December than closing in January. I've been saying I think they will try to stay open for Christmas and impose the necessary restrictions in January.

Are you suggesting we should base our policy on the optics? It's a cute idea but not realistic. Based on how the government behaved in the past, how do you honestly think they will behave in the next couple of months?

With this tried and tested **** attitude you can only be sure things will get a lot worse. Those "who" died from it, don't you mean those that are dying from it - this is far from over. Yet the majority of people including those that are making decisions think we're in the clear, we are where we are because the underlining condition or communicated position from those making the decisions has been 'you're okay if you're vaccinated'; not at all the case! Yes it adds more protection... from you know death, but it is not infallible. You can still catch it, you can still spread it, and you may still die. Locking down was never about the healthy it was about protecting the vulnerable. That being the elderly, immunocompromised, hospitals capacity and those who have no choice but to be on the front line - Fire Services, Doctors/Nurses, Garda, Essential Workers to name just some. Another lock down should have already happened and the thing about lockdowns is that when they do happen earlier they do not have to last as long. The number of cases rising so suddenly speaks volumes that a lockdown should have already been in place or at the very least more stringent measures to keep it from getting out of hand, it has, is, and can get more out of hand. The Governments position of laying blame on those who are unvaccinated is the easiest route out of how badly the Government is and has handled things as far as opening up is concerned - to simplify, everything happened way too fast because of lobbyist pressure. Also trivialising it to be the "least deadly in history" doesn't make it any better in fact that position and attitude is why we are where we are - it has been underestimated at every strategic turn so I've little choice but to lump you in with the idiots on social media spreading misinformation and scaremongering with each one of their replies on this one Wibbs. Another lockdown here will not incite the same riots or angry protests to the volume that is being seen all over Europe, it took us 800 years to finally stand up for ourselves and overthrow British rule and we can't even stand with the Farmers, Teachers or anyone else that gets fucked over or ignored daily by the parties that have been in power for far too long. So it is one thing to be blaming people tactically ignoring guidelines and quite another when there is actually no official restrictions in place which does help to lower transmission.

Its an incredible sentiment. Ignore the reality because it wouldn't look good? If the situation isn't good then I'd prefer them to act on that reality.

Having nice optics would be good if the situation is good. If the situation isn't good then it's unlikely to have nice optics, but that's just the reality.

Well have to see how the situation IS after Christmas and then worry about how it LOOKS.

I doubt FF/FG will actually admit that lockdowns are due to structural issues with the HSE. If they did the implication is lockdowns becoming an annual event.