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

I don't think it's nonsense at all. If they won't answer the question then a journalist can easily say "so and so seems to be refusing to answer the question". They rarely do that. And asking the question several times may not achieve a different answer but it can show an interviewee up for what they are when they are spoofing. You may not see the point but I dare say a lot of others would appreciate it. Vincent Browne at least gave the impression that he was trying to wade through the bullshit. That wasn't the case with a lot of current journalists until very recently. Again, they seemed apologetic, like "sorry I hate to ask this but...."

And yes there isn't much proper journalism around. Journalism involves more than simply transcribing and regurgitating. It involves critical thinking - "Am i getting all the facts here?" "is this this the full picture?". in Ireland we know that typically it isn't the full picture but nowadays there is too often a lack of appetite to probe deeper. It might affect a journalist's contacts. It might alienate them a bit and to a degree it's understandable but it isn't top quality journalism. You'll probably dismiss this as garbage. Fine. You are entitled to your opinion. I just want a bit more from people in these jobs. Anyone can simply repeat what they are told.

And I'm finger pointing at the journalists, not the interviewees. Whether they are speaking to government or health officials, the same softly softly approach is far too often used when questioning.

Media outlets in financial difficulty suddenly start receiving vast sums of money from the state as Covid kicks in.

Journalists bootlick the government and NPHET and fail to do their job of holding elected representatives and non-elected bureaucrats to account.

He who pays the piper......

That's a huge thing as well. Way too much of a love fest.

I see Leo has spoken after his few days of R&R, seems very optimistic, albeit the last time he was optimistic, it didn't go well 🙄

I can’t see data for over 12s vaccinated in your link. If you could just give the figure? I think there are 60% of 10 to 19 year olds vaccinated, but total % for over 12s?

I think your second paragraph is meant for someone else as I never said immunocompromised can’t be vaccinated. But a small portion of immunocompromised and otherwise very sick people will not have been advised take a vaccination- these people are more likely to end up in ICU.

Vaccines and boosters prevent serious illness and death in the groups most at risk. There are undoubtedly fewer of those becoming seriously ill and dying. But the strain on hospitals attributed to the unvaccinated is overblown and dangerously divisive. We also have 55 more ICU beds operating this year which will give an indication as to the absolute shambles of blaming the unvaccinated in a population with 95% adults vaccinated, and a now milder disease circulating.

Claire Byrne the hero for getting stuck in to Farage.

Imagine her holding an Irish politician to account like that?

Of course not.....

Easy to stick it to an unpopular foreign politician.

The only thing they done towards peoples weight is add a 9 euro meal deal requirement to force people who wanted a drink to eat burgers and pizzas.

They closed gyms and encouraged people to eat fast food when going for a drink if anything they encouraged people to gain weight.

Those ridiculous 2k restrictions certainly weren't pro health either. I quite frankly would have never went out cycling if I had obeyed them, as it would be tedious as can be. I remember seeing a lad cycling up and down the same section of road, again and again, and to me he was a mad man, in his own head though he was probably a hero.

It is essential that the government look for the details of how many people are in hospital for covid and how many are in hospital and test positive and are not being treated for Covid.

The way this variant is going we are all going to get it the case numbers are probably 30,000 or 40,000 at this stage.

If we keep testing everybody going to hospital for non covid related issues the numbers in hospital for Covid is going massively increase.

If we base policy based on hospital numbers and cases then schools wont open and we will go into lockdown despite Omicron actually being what is going to end the pandemic.

People's mental health will be destroyed looking at just hospital numbers also.

We need to split out hospital cases by Covid related and incidental and report on that going forward.

Hospitals will be overrun in January like every year so it's in Nphets best interests to keep restrictions or impose more to cover themselves unfortunately.

The fact that we have more ICU beds this year does not change the fact that the numbers unvaccinated in ICU are grossly disproportionate compared to those vaccinated. From the CSO figures where vaccination status is known for the 4 months August - November the percentage of those unvaccinated in ICU are. August 61%, September 60%, October 48%, November 54%.

Those percentages for just 7% of the population are crazy. They have nothing to do with the numbers of those vaccinated in the 12 -24 age group as none that age were in ICU during those months, and little, or most likely nothing, to do with those too frail to take a vaccine, as they would not even be admitted to ICU. Other than those immunocompromised being advised to get boosters due to their conditions resulting in the vaccines waning faster, I have seen no advise for them not to availing of a vaccine due to being immunocompromised. The opposite in fact.

Vaccines and boosters prevent serious illness and death in all groups, not just those most at risk. Hospital and ICU numbers for the unvaccinated show that. While this strain appears to cause less serious illness, could that not possibly be due to so many being vaccinated and boosted or from having recovered from a previous infection ?

I see Boris is now claiming 90% of UK ICU admissions not boosted, seems UK moving on from blaming the unvacinated for clogging up ICU beds, not a mention of course how many in UK ICU beds fully vaccinated.

Watch this space, non boosted in Ireland will be the next pariahs in Irish Society 🙄