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

Given how many staff you see with masks half on, below their chin or not on at all behind their plastic screens, I'd say that is very unlikely. Smaller places may ask but at the risk of losing business many will just drop any need for them.

I haven’t worn a mask in any petrol station in months. If they don’t ask now they certainly won’t ask when its no longer a legal requirement

If we delay when the likes of NI, UK are removing masks it'll ruin us. I'd rather go north if that was the case.

To me personally the restrictions wont be fully gone, until the Covid Pass to travel is gone...and the emergency powers are ended , end of March.

We don't need to keep them and they are still a coercion tool for boosters and that is still wrong.

If the Covid pass continues, to me and my admittedly zero knowledge of the law.. it would mean there is possibly a law there somewhere that can refuse people to return home without PCR/ antigen tests/Passes/ or quarantine etc.. and that's against the constitution, as far as I am aware.. people not allowed entry to their home country is only restricted/ or with certain conditions only apply if they are criminals..

That needs to end, and renewing the covid pass til next summer is a joke.

What's stopping these people wearing them until March 2042?

What I have found is that most "normal" people have largely moved on/forgotten about Covid, and we are left with a lot of obsessive, anxiety-ridden types filling up the airwaves, texts, polls, etc. I don't particularly like saying this, but there is a cohort of society for whom Covid gave their lives meaning. They could follow every news item, digest all the details, and proceed to pontificate and lecture to all and sundry. The type of person who is naturally introverted, and now they are being left on the inside lane once again, as life passes them by.

And before I am berated for being unsympathetic, I do understand that there are certain people who have underlying conditions, and are genuinely fearful. The only thing I can say is that these people must continue to risk assess, be cautious, use their own personal judgement and act accordingly. Expecting the vast, vast (VAST!) majority of society to appease their anxieties is just not sustainable anymore. Society did what was asked of them numerous times throughout the last 2 years, and now is a time to rejoice that we are finally moving on.

BTW, say a prayer for Orla Hegarty and her ilk 😅

Not many places enforce masks as it is. Most staff don't want the hassle and those that do enforce it can say they are just making sure people comply with the law. If you switch the law for shop rules it will be a much harder sell and I really can't see many shops doing that.

In retrospect the construction lockdowns are looking like one of the worst mis-steps in terms of policy. People needing somewhere to rent now could face homelessness just because there aren't lets available.

Almost no other countries had this policy of shutting down construction sites. A lot of building work is effectively outdoors anyway.

This is what I meant by criticising "monomania", which is throwing everything including the kitchen sink at one issue and pretending no other issues exist. No one knows whether shutting down construction sites 'saved lives' (doubtful) but now we have to experience the consequences of a supply shock in housing.

They could ask but it couldn't be enforced.

"Face rag law"...you stay classy.

Apart from that there are probably a couple more.

• Very strident NPHET opposition to antigen tests
• Probable overdependence on extended lockdowns, first one excluded, despite the 2km limits
• The testing regime for most of it, not helped of course by point 1
• Some measures of extremely limited return or justification - i.e. MHQ
• One could also probably look at some of the modelling and communications.

It may be academic to review it seeing as we shouldn't have to deal with this scenario for a very long time but it may help to get a better pandemic plan together.

As far as I remember we were the only country in the world to close construction (I could be wrong on that but I thought I read that somewhere)

But it doesn't matter if we weren't the only one, closing construction in January '21 was nearly the worst decision during the whole covid thing.

The lads in the chipper I go to haven’t worn masks in the past two years. I never wear one in there too. Bit mad, I’m all for it but it’s like they literally had no concern whatsoever over the course of this.