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

I misread why you were mentioning the trend of numbers.

Still, it does seem like Omicron case numbers are just a sparkly toy at this stage. All the experts watching them closely and ignoring the far more important fact that ICU numbers have continued to fall throughout this "wave".

Did you even read the article you linked to?

Firstly, the first case here wasn't 1st December. It was reported on the 1st, and appears to have been identified some time the previous week.

Secondly, it's stated as being "blind luck" that the case was discovered at all, making it highly likely other such cases existed but weren't identified.

And finally, the fact it hadn't been named as a variant of concern before Nov 26th as per your first link doesn't mean it didn't exist before then.

Do you have to test flying between states?

Re: passivity

Come out to the next protest in Dublin lads. There was a good one last month.

It seems like a lot of people are fed up now.

I'm seeing posters who were in favour of restrictions previously now giving out about them bitterly.

Hospitals aren't collapsing at the January peak but you know restrictions can be dragged out for another 6-8 months til next winter because it's just happened two years in a row. 'Blah blah caution we're concerned'

No one can ever say with 100% certainty that it will definitely be 100% safe.. ever. Because risk is inseparable from life.

Oh there is a bit more subtlety to it than that, but as you can imagine I certainly was not going to debate it with somebody looking for an anal gotcha moment.

To give an example, one person can respond to an illogical rule by doing exactly what they are told and convincing themselves everything is fine. Another can proclaim the rule to be garbage, decry it publicly and refuse to follow it.

Both are effectively powerless to affect any change with regards to the rule, nobody in power will pay any attention to either one of them. But one is a doormat and the other is not.

That scenario can play out in a thousand small examples across a nation every day, and in the aggregate may actually influence cultural change in the way an individual cannot. The person following the rule can influence fear in others to fall in line, the person publicly expressing dissatisfaction might empower others who may feel the same but didn't want to express it.

When I consider the Irish to be cowards it is because it seems very apparent that there is a majority of people doing what the church tells them without any analysis whatsoever, doing what they are told despite the picture clearly being false. Running and hiding from a threat for far longer than is necessary. That is cowardice.

I would love to get the **** on with things, I have zero fear of getting back into crowds and spontaneity. There is not a thing I can do to make that happen quicker, but at the very least I am not going to sit here and convince myself that I need to be scared, and I reserve the right to bitch and moan about it all I want. Because if nothing else people should be saying the words that "this ain't right".

The other poster didn't want that answer, he just wanted ammunition.

What was the highlights of last months protest? What did it achieve?

You said it was good. Were you there and where was it?

Well firstly at least you did something proactive aligned to your views instead of just ranting on here so respect for that.

On restrictions I and not a single other person in the country wants them. They never have and never will.

Think about it why would a government want to implement something so unpopular for no reason as they need to get voted back in next election.

We are just trying to deal with a once in a generation pandemic and if I can only stay in a pub until 8pm or have to wear a face covering walking into a shop for the next few months ill not take to the street about it expecting change.

I understand what you're saying but I think what's happened is:

The government thinks the public wants restrictions, and the public thinks the government wants restrictions.

So no one will climb down.

That's why I think firm (but respectful not rabid anti-government) protests would be a nudge to err more on the side of freedom and living. It's worked out in the UK already, and there were big protests there beforehand.

Now that Omicron is giving immunity to many people and covering the whole country it's a good time to finally unwind this pandemic infrastructure starting from after the peak.

'Want' is probably the wrong turn of phrase. 'Think best' is perhaps better.

The UK has ripped off the bandage. There's no way to exit restrictions except to exit them.

I hope we're back to semi-normal by early Feb anyway. We'll see.

We just disagree that's all.

I think there is an element of choice in how hard we go with restrictions.

I don't think NPHET's hand is being forced by material circumstances beyond anyone's control.

And anyway everyone in the country is getting covid right now, all the restrictions have failed on their own terms.

We just 'let it rip' (involuntarily). Masks didn't stop it happening. Vaccines didn't stop it happening. Early closures didn't stop it happening.

Oh well.

I guess the virus doesn't care about restrictions.

The only way out of this is mass non-compliance/civil disobedience.

But it doesn't seem that the Irish are remotely capable of it. Just look at one of the easier rules to not follow: mask wearing—there's nearly 100% compliance. It's quite pathetic really.

It's also one of the easier rules to follow. It's not just the Irish either. There are mask mandates in lots of countries and there's compliance. Are they pathetic as well?

I don’t see this at all.

compliance seems to encourage prolonged restrictions.

on the main covid thread there are plenty of posters who think it would be prudent to continue this or that…

I say fair play to the protesters. Govn needs to know not everyone thinks they, the Govn are saving them etc.

Yep like I said yesterday there’s very few countries obsessed with covid like we are, it’s depressing really.

How are we obsessed with covid.