Covid 19 Part XXXV-956,720 ROI (5,952 deaths) 452,946 NI (3,002 deaths) (08/01) Read OP

I don't think tests have been ramped up. It seems obvious that fewer people are presenting for whatever reason. I think Friday's numbers will see a big drop in positive results. Doctors clinics are also reporting a big drop in covid referrals.

Employers can ask. They're running a slight legal gauntlet, but only slight. There is no law which says that an employer can't ask. The solicitor in the above piece even says that:

NPHET don't make laws, and they have no control over GDPR. The argument here is that asking the question does not become important unless NPHET explicitly says so, but that's a bit of a reach. NPHET's rules around close contacts require that unvaccinated close contacts must restrict their movements. Which logically means that employers have an obligation to ensure that anyone attending the workplace is not required to restrict their movement.

Therefore GDPR is already being overruled and an employer is allowed to ask. They cannot necessarily demand proof, but if the employee declines to answer or says no, then the employer would be within their rights to act on that information in the context of the pandemic.

They could of course completely side-step the question and ask employees to declare on a daily basis whether they are currently required to restrict their movements according to NPHET's rules. If the employer was to later discover that the employee lied, they would be entitled to take disciplinary action.

I've been pretty lucky, in that I haven't had to do a PCR test yet. A couple of Antigens and that's it. I know people who sign up for them regularly without symptoms or any close contact 'just to be sure'....madness!!

Yeah, it's only happening in Ireland. Nowhere else in the world are people signing up to be voluntarily tested. Sure they're not even doing covid tests anywhere except Ireland.

There was 40k tested yesterday?

Yes but I imagine many of them had their appointment set before the new no-PCR rule came in.

Be interesting to see what happens in the coming days with test numbers. I for one will be relieved not to have to see daily case numbers in every headline. Are people really going to upload their antigen results, if they don't need to for work? No they are not.

I think there are constitutional issues though when a body like NPHET are seen as being capable of creating derogations from established law simply by uttering something. Having the power to create or change law is one thing, and obviously not within the competence of NPHET, but that does not make it any less problematic when a body like NPHET is seen as wielding de facto control over how and when law applies. The mere fact that an eminent employment solicitor suggests that NPHET’s views can be of such weight as to (in effect) overrule a law like the GDPR is indicative of the power that this body now holds (even if by no method or desire of its own), particularly in a context where the Irish government has given them quite a lot of public leeway. And we are now well beyond the stage, two years on from 2020, where it can be considered a mere emergency blip.

I don’t tend to level criticism at Holohan or NPHET, who I think for the most part have acted in good faith, but the power they wield by their mere words is problematic (think for example how Holohan telling people not to attend work Christmas parties almost immediately decimated business for hospitality) and a re-think is needed as to the public-facing nature of NPHET. Winding them down as a public-facing body — and by all means allowing their meeting minutes and recommendations to be made public in due course — is going to be an important step in what is fast becoming a critically urgent need to move on.

Im not arguing, that was more like a joke, we need a bloody symbol for sarcasm.

Working in a supermarket and the floflex antigen test sales have slowed considerably since last week. Couldn’t get them on the shelves quick enough last week and they were gone! Looks like a peak has been reached and to a certain extent people have stopped testing

Now to wait for the slow painful 'phased' easing of restrictions

I'm not expecting restrictions to fully be rolled back on until end of February if we're lucky

Just on the new regulations etc.

Luckily I have not had the virus, and have never had need so far to take a PCR or Aunty Gin test.

Going forward I will only pay for and take an antigen test if i feel different/ill in some way that may suggest I have the virus. Depending on the result I will do what is then necessary.

If they want us to take frequent tests for other reasons they can make them available free of charge along with the "special" type masks.

Personally I think they may be coming to conclusions here as regards the virus too quickly. I see news reports from other countries including the U.S. and it seems they are all dealing with a much more dangerous virus than we are!

Anyone, I really hope this proves to be the launch pad back to normality.

I get your point but 40k in a day is a huge amount. FWIW I think we will all need something new to argue about in a month or 2

Indeed. As far as I understand, in Denmark the army are rounding up 200,000 people every day and forcing them into the test centres. It must be quite the effort.

Totally agree. But that's another story.