Will there be another lockdown?

Nearly two years we are at this game of whack a mole. We locked down to prevent the spread and to save the old and infirmed from dying. We were told to wait for the vaccines and then they came and we have one of the highest take ups in the world but still its not enough for the HSE. In this period what has the health service achieved to prepare for any future waves? During each lockdown I would have thought it logical that contact tracing teams would be put in place and government departments would all sing from the hymn sheet? How many extra ICU beds have been created? Did the government compulsory purchase order any private hospitals? What about additional consultants? And remind me how is the kiddies hospital coming along?

Nope the inept government trots out Tone and his cronies to front the media campaign and scare us with gobblegook statistics and "models" in an attempt to scare the life out of the ordinary citizen. The 22/10 came and went and it was clear for all to see that the government lacked leadership and a coherent plan for reopening even though they had months to sit around and eat the custard creams and put together a set of rules. It was days after that many of the actual rules were actually agreed leaving businesses in the lurch and wondering if they would be fined or put out of business.

And during this nearly two years spell the hospital waiting lists continue to grow, the HSE continues to be sued for negligence and drag families through the courts only to stump up at the 11th hour when faced with certain defeat.

I am sorry but if you are immuno compromised, can't or won't take a vaccine then there is nothing else we can do for you. Take the HSE advice and self isolate and all the usual precautions with regards to hygiene.

Yeah that's the aim. Depends on number of cases and the rate of cases requiring hospitalisation or resulting in death.

The vaccines are definitely working. We know that because the rate of people catching covid who become seriously sick is way down. Thst means we can have more transmission in the population without too many people becoming seriously sick and that's great. Whether that will mean we can go through the whole winter without restrictions is unlikely, but hopefully a lockdown can be avoided.

3805 cases yesterday. Thing is when is the number going to be high enough before a lockdown seems more likely?

I want to think that your average, normal, level headed person doesn't want another lockdown. But with Christmas shopping around the corner and the cold weather should things be closing?

I know a woman in her 60s who got covid over the weekend. Likely due to her job as she deals with the public.

3805 out of 5 million - that's the figure to keep in perspective. There won't be any buy in for another lockdown, and they can't exactly go shutting everything again and wheeling out the PUP because we've already dug enough of a financial grave with the previous lockdowns.

I think we are going to see a lot of deaths this winter but it has to be accepted, we can't turn off the lights again for 6 months and there isn't a hope of anybody buying it with a 90% vaccination rate.

That's not remotely the most important number to keep in mind. The rate of infection turning to serious illness and projection to ICU cases and death over time, would be far more important numbers. Those numbers might be fine and no need for concern, but I don't pretend to know what those numbers are.

I think the anti-vaxxers will have a field day if there's another lockdown.

Extending covid certs would have an impact. I don't see how you think it would have no impact. Do you mean it would only have a small impact?

I'd say most individual interventions would have a small impact in isolation. That's why they tend to introduce multiple restrictions

It is not the 3805 cases from 25K cases that is the problem. It is the amount of people unknowingly going around with it and passing it on to others that is the problem.

The 3805 cases who tested positive are isolating, they have been captured and not spreading it to anyone.

Having kept the lockdown going too long in the first half of the year, my fear is the Government don't want to introduce another one now, even though it's required.

Having lockdowns is sh1t, no doubt, but with poor hospital capacity we could end up in an even worse situation if the government are indecisive and afraid to be unpopular.

It's a shame the vaccines haven't got rid of Covid, a massive disappointment, but that's what's happened, there is a need to drastically reduce the level of interactions for a few weeks at least.

I think HPSC was collating data on where outbreak happens but not sure what sort of categorization is being used, and with how they treat the school outbreak data, not sure how reliable it actually is.

Logically, you'd assume transmission in hairdressers/barbers would be low. You're wearing a mask, socially distanced customers in a lot of cases, and for men in particular, you're in there a very short amount of time. I'd say cases from someone picking it up in there are so low that any reduction from covid certs would be miniscule, and unless NPHET can actually show it having an impact, I'd be saying it's pointless to do it. The drawbacks outweigh the impact imo.

Any extra restrictions need to be where the pros outweigh the cons imo, and I don't believe it does in that case. Mandating WFH again would have far more pros, and considering case loads in the 19-24 group, putting all large lectures in college online would have a big impact too. Dropping our cases by 10 a week isn't something we should be aiming for here.

That is exactly the situation, there is no alternative unfortunately. Everyone knew the healthcare system was the main weakness and opening up going into winter was just going to make it worse, but they still did it anyway.

If hospitalizations and ICU continue to rise ..which they are likely to do...then there will be reimposed restrictions. Such as mass gatherings, nightclubs, pubs , work from home. And tis no big deal really

There should be an upscale in audits, by army/civil defense in plain clothes doing spot audits on premises not in compliance.

its know to be happening it’s a deterrent.

No big deal? Another couple of billion we don't have thrown at hospitality. The national debt is ridiculous and their is interest rate rises on the horizon.

Someone posted about how the unvaccinated have "contributed to their situation" which is why I then made the comparison.

If people make inflammatory comments like that then there will be responses! Anyone on the vaxxed side of the debate can say whatever they want it seems!!

I don't have an agenda either. I have an opinion.

I'm not ashamed, get down off your high horse!!!