Acceptable Covid death rates

Didn't have lockdowns. I lived in Sweden earlier this year. That's a lie promulgated by the msm.

@PeadarCo

"...The thing is everyone has their limits. You can't expect people to be as obliging as they have been. At this stage if you think certain things like nightclubs are unsafe etc you are effectively saying you want them banned. You can't keep restrictions indefinitely at some point you either have allow the impacted businesses to open or just outright ban them. The advantage of banning them is that it allows the people now out of work a chance to move on with their lives by retraining/doing something else. You can't hold people in limbo indefinitely. That's incredibly unfair and disrespectful to the people impacted by the business closures..."

I don't think anyone has said they want nightclubs banned or business closed again. Or for the less vulnerable not to go to them. I don't think that is what is being said at all.

From my point of view, I am high risk and I live with someone who is very high risk. So I definitely won't be attending nightclubs or the like, and being restricted in that way doesn't bother me, as I accept that as part of taking "personal responsibility".

But there are some things high risk people can't avoid doing where they can't avoid coming into contact with others - "cocooning" is not a viable permanent way to live for those who are high risk, either. You can't hold people in limbo indefinitely.

For instance, even though I am high risk (and my employer is aware of this), I am expected to return to work in an environment where I know my less vulnerable colleagues have been engaging in high risk behaviour, and masks are not mandatory. I feel this poses a significant risk to me, that I don't have much control over. I can't quit my job, I have bills to pay, like anyone else.

Before I am accused of it - I'm not asking anyone, including my colleagues, to stop going to their friends homes, or to nightclubs, or doing anything else they want to do that is safe for them, and I don't expect them too. But what I don't think is unreasonable to expect that when they are not doing those things - e.g. at work, or in shops or other public places, or on public transport, if they continue with taking some precautions to protect the more vulnerable they will come into contact with.

For instance, that person that was out dancing in Coppers on Saturday night, could be sitting next to a vulnerable person on the bus on the way to work that week. Or face to face dealing with them as customers in a shop, or simply standing too close in a checkout line in Tescos with their mask under their nose.

In these "daily life" situations, I see no reason why it should be such hardship for the less vulnerable to continue with masks, hand sanitising and yes, maintaining social distancing. If these are the only "restriction" the less vulnerable are being asked to place on themselves, I don't think its too much to ask.

That's all.

Bit for how long? People have been doing it for almost two years. It was supposed to be 'just two weeks to flatten the curve'.

@Gortanna "Remember that it was originally "just two weeks"?

Yes, I do. But that was back in March 2020, when no one had any real clue what Covid was, or what we were facing into, and not just here in Ireland but the whole world. Kind of pointless bringing it up the whole two weeks thing, in hindsight.

A lot of progress has been made in 19 months, and I don't believe this pandemic will last forever - or that covid will be completely eradicated. But its too soon to toss in the towel, its not over yet, and for however long it takes means exactly that - for however long it takes. I'm sure the scientists who've worked hard to find answers since the start of this are very very sorry they can't deliver the definite "end by" date you seem to be expecting.

You may wish the high risk groups would just lock themselves in behind closed doors so you can get on with living your normal life, but they have a right to live as close to a normal life as possible as you do, and that includes going to work to earn a living, going to shops when they need to, using public transport - so unfortunately for you, the Government and NPHET has a duty of care to all its citizens, not just the less vulnerable, so you may find yourself being inconvenienced for some time to come.

Colds? They were supposed to be for covid. Many feared they would be used for flu and colds.