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

To be fair - while I agree with your sentiment - it's not a surprising reaction from some.

The media, NPHET and Government have spent the last 18 months telling the country that there's a deadly virus out there that we should all be afraid of, treat each other (and ourselves) like plague carriers, and need to take ever more drastic measures to protect ourselves from with new variants around every corner.

Because the RTE narrative in particular has been designed to reinforce this at every opportunity, it's no wonder that some will be genuinely afraid as a result. Add that to the typically Irish resentful attitude towards anyone/anything "different" or off-message, coupled with the instinctive need of many to show how compliant they are, and you get the above.

Meanwhile, in the reality of those last 18 months, the virus (thankfully!) continues to be low risk to the vast majority of people, even if they do realise they have/had it - but because of the above factors, weak leadership and as a result a "sunk cost" fallacy where they have to now justify the billions spent/livelihoods destroyed, we end up with posts like the one you quoted and people defending it.

No, we have to offer up our children as sacrificial lambs or the covid gods will be angry and punish us with more cases. This type of thinking is acceptable now.

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I think you've quoted the wrong post?

(Did you forget that you're threadbanned too?)

While this is absolutely correct…. Being cold can affect your body’s ability to fight a virus or infection and viruses that cause colds may spread more easily in lower temperatures. This is one of the reasons why cold and flu season happens at the coldest time of year!

When did you mention the stuff in that article?

EDIT - Oh, I see you've edited, "there ye go and they said I was a doom merchant," from your post. Okay.

You realise all this stuff isn't new news ? What you've linked is an opinion piece discussing last week's recommendations.

It was all in last weeks recommendations around reducing socialising for primary school age group.

Let us use personal responsibility and let us **** live with this virus

Vaccines and restrictions also haven't worked in the past. What makes you think they will work now?

So you'd rather the government stepped down rather than stepped up?

"Since the advice leaked last Thursday, the pantomime sector has been haemorrhaging bookings. Of course, performances may be staged but the recommendation is that no children are in the audience."

How can theatres "haemorrhage bookings"? Most people booked their tickets months ago and theatre tickets generally are non refundable.

Put the pantos on but fill the theatres with creepy childless adults? Don't see that happening. Have rte cameras outside the gaiety shaming people going in? (Extremely possible actually)

Now obviously MM & SD are two of most incompetent politicians we've ever had in power. It wouldn't surprise me at all to see them rushing through a legal framework trying to ban Santa and somehow make pantos illegal without banning the rest of theatre - but given we are clearly desperately out of cash I can't see either happening.

And any person who cancels a Santa/panto visit over a nonsense nphet "recommendation" needs to give their head a wobble.

Have the panto in a school hall, loophole 👍

It's fairly obvious what they'll do. They will say it's advice only but knowing full well most places will panic in case they aren't covered by their insurance if anything happens while they are open but not following public health advice. That way places will cancel events and there'll be no government support for them as it's only "advice".

It's only advice. Parents won't listen to that shíte. Even if it was more than advice it's unenforceable.