Galway COVID-19, local news and discussion

TwoWheeledTim

timmyntc wrote: »

The idea behind masks is to protect others from you, not the other way around.

What difference does it make if you touch your own mask, so long as its on properly covering your nose & mouth?

Agree with this. I normally pull the mask out of my pocket and put on before entering a shop. Sanitise my hands on the way in and don't touch the mask (or mobile phone!) until it's taken off after leaving.

Wompa1

TwoWheeledTim wrote: »

Agree with this. I normally pull the mask out of my pocket and put on before entering a shop. Sanitise my hands on the way in and don't touch the mask (or mobile phone!) until it's taken off after leaving.

I have one in my pocket, more in my bag but I think it's probably as much about being mindful. If you keep it in your pocket and you put a soggy tissue in your pocket it's not much good. If you don't wash or sanitize your hands in any way before you pull it out and say you were in a shop, you could be putting COVID on your mask before putting it on.

I opt to change it after going into a shop. Just extra caution incase something is on my hands when I'm taking it off.

I think Galway County Council shared a post about comparing it with underwear. If I treated it like underwear I wouldn't wash it at 60 degrees and wouldn't change when going into different places but my own theory is just to be as mindful as possible.

timmyntc

Wompa1 wrote: »

I think Galway County Council shared a post about comparing it with underwear. If I treated it like underwear I wouldn't wash it at 60 degrees and wouldn't change when going into different places but my own theory is just to be as mindful as possible.

If you're short on masks, you can just stick a pair of stretchy boxers over your head and cut out some eye holes

inisboffin

Try to just touch the elastic part of the mask. Sanitise before putting it back on and after and you eliminate a lot of the risk (snotty pockets the exception!) If it's sitting on your chin people forget to sanitise again as it is a quick motion, so I usually take it off fully.

Mrs OBumble

Mrs OBumble wrote: »

That said, I don't for a minute believe we're heading for another wave, or a Galway outbreak. If we were, we'd be seeing signs of it by now.

Not picking on your post in particular but it was the most recent showing the complacency evident by a number of posters here and in general around the city, county and country.

As 3 counties are now locked down again, maybe people will considering taking this seriously again (or for the 1st time).

I think a full country wide lock down will have to be considered again, if it’s not already being considered. Far too many people eating out, far to many back in offices when they could be working from home (the government really need to make WFH mandatory unless totally impossible), far too many people on holidays around the country etc etc etc.

Gadgetman496

4 Deaths 98 New Cases today.

One new case in Galway according to the App (Total 499)

TwoWheeledTim

I think a national lockdown on recreational activity is looking likely to maximise the chances of schools reopening.

Whereisgalway

TwoWheeledTim wrote: »

I think a national lockdown on recreational activity is looking likely to maximise the chances of schools reopening.

close the prom again?

TwoWheeledTim

Maybe. Or a non essential travel restriction again so it's not thronged with tourists. Very busy today. Gardai at Blackrock earlier looking at the crowd... they advised the previous closure.

There is no way schools should reopen, it is a guaranteed spike in cases all over the country. Every school will be like a meat factory, primarily kids are too young to understand and teenagers are too stupid and selfish to respect the rules.

They should just plan for remote teaching rather than wasting time preparing. Look at Germany, immediate closures again in schools that are only just opened.

Fernando Muscular Sibilant

Fernando Muscular Sibilant wrote: »

There is no way schools should reopen, it is a guaranteed spike in cases all over the country. Every school will be like a meat factory, primarily kids are too young to understand and teenagers are too stupid and selfish to respect the rules.

They should just plan for remote teaching rather than wasting time preparing. Look at Germany, immediate closures again in schools that are only just opened.

I both agree and disagree

Everything possible needs to be done to reopen the schools, if that means localised lockdowns, then so be it.

Reopening the schools carries risk with it, no doubt about that, but this virus is not going to go away any time soon. We are looking at, best case, a vaccine by late 2021, early 2022 and then probably a year or more to produce and distribute it. Keeping the schools closed for that duration simply will not work.

However, due to Irelands planning for the last 50 years, we are now paying the price in terms of infrastructure for remote schooling & work. Simply put, remote schooling of an effective kind, is not possible for a sizable portion of school going children due to lack of connectivity. Its going to cost us 3+ billion to connect the last 500k of the population or something like that.

Don't get me wrong, I think its possibly the best option but it will not be feasible for a lot of families

Once the schools do open, we should look to keeping them open as much as possible. Not going to work everywhere, but in a lot of places around the country it will be possible.

Sadly there are no perfect solutions to this, its going to be crap for some no matter what we do but at a certain point we are going to have to bite the bullet and just reopen them.

JoeA3

The schools absolutely need to open and they will. They are a basis of a functioning society, it’s fairly dim witted chronic shortsightedness imo to suggest they remain close indefinitely.

I can see them extending the pub closures for a lot longer and more phased/localised lockdowns like they’ve done this evening, all with the aim of suppressing those localised clusters and making the school reopenings more straightforward.

_Whimsical_

I was at the dentist this week and he was telling me they'd had people ring up for appointments, secretary asked if they'd been abroad recently and had the person answer yes I'm just back whereby they were told well you'll have to wait 2 weeks before you can come in so. Then the patient has said "oh no what I meant is I was on holiday and then quarantined and now it's 2 days since I've come out of quarantine".
Obvious bull basically!

It's very difficult if people are going to lie even in the most dangerous sort of scenarios like that. They'd put the professional dealing with them in danger but the whole town at risk too.

zell12

Salthill was thronged today, many English accents around
no distancing practised

Same with the Corrib/Sparch areas

Brace yerselves for Round II

at1withmyself

If there is one thing I've observed in the past few months it's that a decent percentage of society are either incredibly stupid, incredibly selfish or a mixture of both. I'm shocked when on calls in work the amount of people not adhereing to social distancing and going meeting large groups etc..

The lock down was tough but in fairness life is not so bad right now once we adhere to social distancing and minimise contacts. What is it that these people don't understand, they're usually the same ones giving out about the economy without realising they are the ones causing the problem!

_Whimsical_ wrote: »

I was at the dentist this week and he was telling me they'd had people ring up for appointments, secretary asked if they'd been abroad recently and had the person answer yes I'm just back whereby they were told well you'll have to wait 2 weeks before you can come in so. Then the patient has said "oh no what I meant is I was on holiday and then quarantined and now it's 2 days since I've come out of quarantine".
Obvious bull basically!

It's very difficult if people are going to lie even in the most dangerous sort of scenarios like that. They'd put the professional dealing with them in danger but the whole town at risk too.

TwoWheeledTim

Expect it to be even busier tomorrow, bright sunny Saturday forecast.

Gardai at Blackrock earlier, checking the crowd.

extra gravy

zell12 wrote: »

Salthill was thronged today, many English accents around
no distancing practised

Same with the Corrib/Sparch areas

Brace yerselves for Round II

And weather promised good for the week. It would be safer for everyone if it stayed raining.

ben.schlomo

zell12 wrote: »

Salthill was thronged today, many English accents around
no distancing practised

Same with the Corrib/Sparch areas

Brace yerselves for Round II

Was this not said back in May, June and July too and we're still waiting for those Rounds!

Whereisgalway

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Was this not said back in May, June and July too and we're still waiting for those Rounds!

Yawn

at1withmyself

TwoWheeledTim wrote: »

Agree with this. I normally pull the mask out of my pocket and put on before entering a shop. Sanitise my hands on the way in and don't touch the mask (or mobile phone!) until it's taken off after leaving.

If you take it off you should consider it used and treat it as infected. If going to multiple shops then leave it on between shops, what I see is people not understanding that part and putting into pockets between shops.

If I go to the supermarket, I put on at home and then leave on till I get home or bring a bag to carry it from when I get back to the car/bike.

Much better explained here;
https://www.gov.ie/en/publication/aac74c-guidance-on-safe-use-of-face-coverings/

Whereisgalway

at1withmyself wrote: »

If there is one thing I've observed in the past few months it's that a decent percentage of society are either incredibly stupid, incredibly selfish or a mixture of both. I'm shocked when on calls in work the amount of people not adhereing to social distancing and going meeting large groups etc..

The lock down was tough but in fairness life is not so bad right now once we adhere to social distancing and minimise contacts. What is it that these people don't understand, they're usually the same ones giving out about the economy without realising they are the ones causing the problem!

Very well said

TwoWheeledTim

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Was this not said back in May, June and July too and we're still waiting for those Rounds!

True but it's a bit like a game of Russian roulette, you'll run out of luck eventually. Seems to be a lot more tourists around Galway in the last couple of weeks. Godsend for local businesses but risky enough for the region.

at1withmyself

I agree that schools need to be prioritised but he is right to have concerns. Let's see now with the latest lock down how many people are going to re-assess their behaviour this evening to help keep the numbers down and therefore improve the chances of schools opening.

Sadly all over the world there are examples of schools closing quickly after reopening. Sadly too tomorrow no doubt salthill will be packed, I hope I'm wrong because its up to each of us to decide how this goes.

JoeA3 wrote: »

The schools absolutely need to open and they will. They are a basis of a functioning society, it’s fairly dim witted chronic shortsightedness imo to suggest they remain close indefinitely.

I can see them extending the pub closures for a lot longer and more phased/localised lockdowns like they’ve done this evening, all with the aim of suppressing those localised clusters and making the school reopenings more straightforward.

TwoWheeledTim

at1withmyself wrote: »

If you take it off you should consider it used and treat it as infected. If going to multiple shops then leave it on between shops, what I see is people not understanding that part and putting into pockets between shops.

Don't be inside more than one shop a day, still sticking to essential shopping only, once or twice a week.

at1withmyself

TwoWheeledTim wrote: »

Don't be inside more than one shop a day, still sticking to essential shopping only, once or twice a week.

Apologies, I see I quoted you but not a dig at your actions, more a general observation of what I see.

ben.schlomo

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Was this not said back in May, June and July too and we're still waiting for those Rounds!

You obviously haven’t seen the news today...

ben.schlomo

Fernando Muscular Sibilant wrote: »

You obviously haven’t seen the news today...

Galway is on lockdown again? Jesus must have missed that, sorry Nox.

ben.schlomo

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Galway is on lockdown again? Jesus must have missed that, sorry Nox.

Obviously not but it can happen in Galway just as easy when you have the lax attitudes on display here being all too common.

You can be sure there was the likes of you saying the very same thing in Kildare, we will never have to lock down again etc etc.

JoeA3

ben.schlomo wrote: »

Galway is on lockdown again? Jesus must have missed that, sorry Nox.

The actual news is, Galway has 1 new case today. That’s around ~5 new cases in Galway in the last 6-8 weeks. 3 midland counties have experienced recent spikes, focused on meat plant factories and not in the community, so they’ve wisely focused some localised lockdown measures in those areas.

Despite the whipped up hysterics, the BLM protests clearly didn’t cause a predicted 2nd wave. Neither did the walkers/runners/swimmers on the prom. Lots of pubs are open. Many of them have been bending the rules. Race week has come and gone. Yet new case numbers remain low here. The testing centre at the airport is tumbleweed (I drive by it most days).

I’ve no idea why it is, but Galway certainly appears to be keeping this very much under control. Despite people thronging Salthill or not wearing masks properly, etc etc. Long may that continue, there’s obviously no reason to introduce restrictions here. For now. Fingers crossed etc

I can understand that many people are very fearful of this. I have friends and relatives that hardly leave their homes. Personally while I am mindful of it (who isn’t), I am not in fear of it and I’m getting on with things as much as possible. I don’t think it’s fair to call people who you perceive to have different attitudes to your own as “stupid” or “selfish” etc. Everyone has their own problems and issues to deal with.

Whereisgalway

JoeA3 wrote: »

The actual news is, Galway has 1 new case today. That’s around ~5 new cases in Galway in the last 6-8 weeks. 3 midland counties have experienced recent spikes, focused on meat plant factories and not in the community, so they’ve wisely focused some localised lockdown measures in those areas.

Despite the whipped up hysterics, the BLM protests clearly didn’t cause a predicted 2nd wave. Neither did the walkers/runners/swimmers on the prom. Lots of pubs are open. Many of them have been bending the rules. Race week has come and gone. Yet new case numbers remain low here. The testing centre at the airport is tumbleweed (I drive by it most days).

I’ve no idea why it is, but Galway certainly appears to be keeping this very much under control. Despite people thronging Salthill or not wearing masks properly, etc etc. Long may that continue, there’s obviously no reason to introduce restrictions here. For now. Fingers crossed etc

I can understand that many people are very fearful of this. I have friends and relatives that hardly leave their homes. Personally while I am mindful of it (who isn’t), I am not in fear of it and I’m getting on with things as much as possible. I don’t think it’s fair to call people who you perceive to have different attitudes to your own as “stupid” or “selfish” etc. Everyone has their own problems and issues to deal with.

And remember all it takes is one
Be Vigilant