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

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I'd agree with you if the entire mindset wasn't shifting the way it has been recently.

We've had doctors and politicians on the radio and TV calling for vaccine certs to enter shops in recent weeks.

Of course, any reasonably intelligent person can tell it’s all political now with no scientific basis whatsoever.

I said it 6 months ago. I said that this winter, post-vaccination programme, that the same people who called for restrictions last winter would be calling for restrictions this winter, and for the very same reasons.

I got a lot of posters calling me a whinger and doom monger. They were wrong then and they continue to be wrong today.

I would have thought any reasonably intelligent person would question what any politician in power hopes to gain by it. I cannot see where the upside for them is tbh.

why do cinemas have to close at 8pm??? what the difference if i go to a movie at 6pm or 9pm covid wise?? serious Q..

I reckon this latest pantomime is just to soften us up for a full closure of the pubs / restaurants / cinemas / theatres, etc. in a week or two. I’ve said before that I expect a lockdown in all but name and that it would be done bit by bit. I only wonder whether it’ll be Christmas Eve or New Year’s Eve when the axe falls.

Unfortunately past experience tells us it’ll be months and months before the public is thrown a few crumbs and in the meantime a coordinated PR campaign is likely to be employed to keep us distracted by blaming each other.

Plus you have to actually have courage, vision, and leadership ability to make the unpopular and optically poor decision to stay the course, even though both medium and long term it’s the right call. Remember, at this point the default state has become: Restrict!

Plus, Trump or something.

Would be interested in seeing where you base your opinion that "the unvaccinated take up disproportionate resources from the health system....."

Particularly when the number for % positive cases not vaccinated has been has been in steady decline. Even the CSO statistics don't fit the narrative any more, Last week the had to publish a second revision to boost the unvaccinated numbers. This week looks like the just didn't bother mentioning them.

Those that died with covid now down to where it was in September when we were expecting restrictions would be removed in October. Didn't happen then wont be happening any time soon.

There is no difference.

The problem is and always has been the capacity of our healtcare services. More cases means more hospitalizations.

What have we done to prepare for that? Absolutely nothing.

So since the government have done nothing at all to actually fix the problem, despite knowing about this problem for almost 2 full years, they now need to put on the appearance of "doing something". So here we are.

I seriously doubt they've put much thought into it. I doubt they've looked at numbers of people going to the cinema and noticed that 8pm to midnight is a particularly exceptionally busy time so they want to shut that down. I doubt they've even bothered to establish what kind of case numbers are a result of people going to the cinema.

Schools, workplaces and homes are the main drivers of cases so let's shut pubs and that down at, hmmmm, pick a number, 8pm!

The * means they don't have the data yet or that it's not final, in the week of 3/12 they had double (edit: not sure if these numbers including under 12 cases which would change the maths) the chance of being infected over the rest of the population (and they caveat that it's self reported, so not wholly accurate).

And because Omicron seems to evade previous infections (boosters seem to work) that % is likely to increase. Watch what happens in London.

And the problem isn't cases, it's the high % of unvaccinated that end up hospitalised vs. vaccinated, if anything, the dropping % would show the COVID pass system is having the intended effect (which was probably not your intent when posting this, but that's the numbers).

You make an excellent point.

NPHET's make up comprises the best & brightest of Ireland Public Administrators and an assortment of other folks with Degree's and Cert's in exotic practices.

Many of these will have flitted in and out of the HSE's flickering flame over their years in "power" and so will be well accquainted with "How the system works".

These people represent EXACTLY why the HSE is,as you accurately describe it "A shambles & a Mess".

Right now,particularly after Friday's performance it is imperative that NPHET,as currently devised should be disbanded and replaced by a smaller,broader representative group,with a clear direction to focus on Living with and Exiting current Covid "Emergency Measures".

If not,then Lunatics running Asylum Ireland is the New Normal.