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

I hope so. I go to a gym in a hotel and they keep saying the hotel manager wont allow the jacuzzi/sauna/steam room to be opened due to space issues and the need to clean after each use. Which makes ye think how often did they clean it before all of this

When was the time to initiate a 6 weeks lockdown to save xmas, or to suddenly shutdown the country on the 24th because of the surge, it was decided within a blink of an eye. Now that everything was stagnant for the past 4 weeks we still need to wait an additional 3 because it's "the science" and we need a period of observation. The case will inevitably raise after the 22nd, what are they going to do then? Will they be ready to accept overwhelmed hospitals like it was for the past X years? Ah well, let's wait for the next (crucial) 17 days and we shall see I suppose

The one in mine has been opened since the gym last reopened.

This time last year we were on the eve of Lockdown 2

All this 'Lockdown can't be ruled out' is pure arse covering by our betters who will lose no pay and there lifestyle if it comes it or not

Its a real eye opener how many crackpots on that side of the argument happen to be from Mayo. Perhaps it's all coincidence. Or perhaps its lack of education. Who knows

Where is immunity through infection being ignored ? Here, and as far as I can see, in every other country it has the same status as being fully vaccinated.

Tegnell`s predecessor as Sweden`s state epidemiologist, Annika Linde 2005 - 2013, said chasing natural herd immunity was a dream with little basis in reality. She was also considered the best epidemiologist in Sweden until she retired, so one of them got it wrong. From Sweden`s own antibody test results it does not look like it was Linde.

Tegnell and Bhattacharya were both advocates of natural herd immunity. Tegnell was eventually force to drop the idea, and Bhattacharya I haven`t heard anything from since the first vaccination or even earlier. I imagine even he realised seeing how effective the vaccines are against serious injury and death, what the carnage pursuing his favoured natural herd immunity would have caused. That and the fact that anywhere it was attempted, or believed to have been achieved, showed how correct Linde`s assessment was.

If you are chasing natural herd immunity then the theory on how fast you get there depends on how fast as many as possible become infected. If face masks are preventing that happening then I can see why those favouring the theory would be opposed.

I’m not a violent person, but if they attempted a ‘climate lockdown’ I may reconsider my position…

Gortanna's fantasy wont happen.

In the same way that people used to claim covid restrictions such as 2nd lockdowns, vaccine passes etc wouldn't happen, it would very naive to think that people won't be effected by climate change restrictions in the future. You can call posters pessimistic all you like, but if the last 18moths has shown anything, it's that nothing can be ruled out.

Oh, I think this is a box ticking exercise and all Donnelly knows how to do is channel the CMO. It just suggests they want to be prepared.

Well, we have them so why go through the dance again for new ones? They should be parked from 22 October anyway. Tend to ignore what SF rep has to say as most of it is rubbish. It's also ironic given how much harder they and others in Opposition wanted to push on restrictions.

Right but look at the y-axis. Then factor in seasonality. In terms of numbers alone we're in a worse position than this time last year

One of the few times here that I'll be agreeing with Sinn Fein on something; in the event that these powers were required again it wouldn't take very much to convene an emergency session of the Dáil and bring them through. You're talking about a difference of hours rather than weeks. Viruses move quickly, but not that quickly.

I totally accept the standpoint that it's often better to have something and not need it than to need it and not have it, but from an ideological standpoint allowing these powers to lapse when they are no longer needed, is the democratically right thing to do. Donnelly himself admits that they are "unlikely" to be required again, therefore on balance it makes more sense to let them go.

We don't have a massive right-wing section of the Dáil that would resist new legislation on restrictions; quite the opposite in fact. Therefore there's no worry that we would not be able to bring in emergency legislation again if it was needed.