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

Your description sounds like quite a compassionate society haha.

I meant the society trying to protect a small part of society bit. Just sounded quite nice is all haha

What are you talking about? It's like your just typing random mixed up words

The early signs from South Africa is that the omicron variant is more transmissible and less severe on people. Most of the South African population have antibodies based on older variants, mostly from previous infection from Delta and Beta and a very small bit from vaccination

That is a clear sign that either omicron is less severe or that antibodies based on previous variants work...

Through all your gibberish I think you're arguing that the vaccines won't work against omicron, do you have any evidence of this?

No doubt the younger generation have been absolutely shafted. The ones that are at no risk from Covid will be the same ones left to pay back the debt. The inter-generational social-contract has been well and truly broken.

It will be interesting to see what the younger generation do when the older generation expect to be kept in the lifestyle they have become accustomed to in retirement. Will a smaller pool of working people be willing to pay the taxes to fund the public and state pensions of an ever-growing number of retirees along with the servicing of one of the largest debts in the developed world? All the while being told that aspiration of home-ownership are just a pipe-dream.

A revolution is coming.

What is disappointing is the lack of protest by the younger generation to what is going on right now. They should be taking to the streets IMO.

I recall last year NPHET recommended a lv5 lockdown for 6 weeks, Leo Varadkar went on Claire Byrne and were openly critical of NPHET

Since then I haven't seen Tony or Ronan at a joint press conference with government and there's been many jabs given to government over the last 12 months, most notably Tony's advice that Electric Picnic could go ahead

I’m really struggling to identify with anyone who supports further restrictions.

Im a cynical cont at the best of times, but it’s the children and poorer people I feel so sorry for.

my local town is dead in the weeks running up to Christmas, even less atmosphere than last year, the “we’re all in this together” argument has worn bare. Shops quiet, restaurants quiet and pubs quiet. It’s so depressing to see.

it’s depressing to witness the destruction of society, but it’s infuriating to hear people on here to make out like the restrictions are minor, they are having sever impacts on mental health and the local economy. Many businesses will never recover from this, and what was achieved through this destruction?

to put the cold light of statistical data on it, has it robbed anyone of more the 6 months of life? I know it’s rough on families when Covid rips through a hospice or the frail in nursing homes, but the price society has paid to slightly delay these deaths is severe and disproportionate.

I have an uncle with Alzheimer’s, 2 years being isolated finished him off, the whole family now regret not mixing more and letting him take his chances with Covid, 3 months of quality time with the family would have been better that 2 years of the isolation and limiting contact.

im lucky in that I’ve been able to bring my kids Christmas shopping to London, Oxford street was their best experience in years, the hustle and bustle people getting on with life, pubs theatres restaurants all normal, no one living in fear, maybe the brits have had such terrible media for so long they all tuned out years ago, but in ireland we just replaced the parish priest with Nphet and Clare Byrne pontificating and frightening society.

I’ve travelled extensively throughout Europe in the last 9 months, nowhere are the clouds more ominous than ireland.

How low do hospital figures have to fall before NPHET start calling for tighter restrictions?

Their window of opportunity is slipping, if we keep seeing this consistent decline in numbers they will have little options so they need to act now if they want to meet their goals.

518 in hospital yesterday, 492 today, that a drop of 26? We're roughly where we were last week as there was an increase on Saturday and Sunday of about 13 each day

Yes, I meant NPHET, sorry, no idea how to edit.

I would like them to address hospital staffing over Christmas.

l would also like a breakdown of the unvaccinated staff redeployments Paul Reid has often mentioned. Which grades / positions have been redeployed from where to where ? Are medically trained staff now doing admin work?

What other factors?

Bear in mind here, Ireland remained restricted right throughout the spring and summer of 2021. It was not until July 26th when they allowed limited reopening of indoor dining, that was absolutely insane and had no justification worth a damn. Then they promised a full reopening on October 22nd, which was also mindboggingly stupid and was a complete failure to the surprise of nobody.

Certain shills cheered those reopening dates but the "abundance of caution" policy was always **** stupid and plenty of people knew it and said it.

We can't and we shouldn't dismiss this level of incompetence with "decisions are hard".

Id say that happened alright.

Other factors like employment, the economy, non COVID healthcare.

I don't know whether they got their dates right or wrong, nobody does really without hindsight, its completely subjective and almost everyone will view it through their own, mostly economic, circumstances. People didn't "know" anything was stupid, they guessed, and everyone can have an opinion.

Nobody is dismissing anything because decisions are hard. Just because I've hated every minute of the last 18 months doesn't necessarily mean we got it wrong. No country got it fully right. And even at that, what does "getting it right" look like ? For some it will be their job still exists, for some it will be their social life is back, for some its a parent still alive, for others its a functioning health service. What's a good metric for getting it right ?

They know how to make recommendatiosn don't they. Nothing stopping Tony tweeting to say that in light of the massive risk we're facing, all health care staff holiday leave should be cancelled.