Here’s the thing that’s being missed by the stay locked down forever crowd.
Let’s say the UK estimate provided by @flattythehurdler is correct and 2% of the population have been infected and apply it to Ireland. No question the isolation measures taken up to now have kept the infection rate down, but that’s 98% of the population that potentially remain to be infected. The concept that if we stay isolated for a few more weeks it will make much difference, let alone “the” difference is nonsensical. Infections will continue at some rate until herd immunity is achieved whether that takes another month, six months, or a decade.
The goal of the stay at home order has been achieved, the hospitals have not been overwhelmed and there is sufficient ICU capacity. Hoping the virus will go away is not a strategy.
Except there were no restrictions at all from January to mid March and virus was allowed to run wild, the result of that is the hospitalizations seen over the past 5 weeks. You would have to hope we have learned something and can protect the vulnerable better now and also practice sensible distancing guidelines.
how you see it playing out after the May weekend labane?
construction and manufacturing restored, 2km restriction extended to 7km, other minor lifting of restrictions such as golf, tennis like sports allowed ???
I don’t believe our base ICU capacity was reached when we had this thing spreading pre serious government advice and restrictions in mid March. There was a strong element of people practicing serious handwashing and social distancing though amongst a lot of the community.
It will be interesting if they find earlier cases here. I know a few weeks ago they found strains from lots of places so it was likely here a bit before we thought. One estimate I had read previously was that from the date of your earliest death you likely had 100 cases 3 weeks before, that would suggest mid February at best.
I’d give that a good 2 weeks of serious community transmission before at large started to seriously engage in hand washing and social distancing.
This thing is not going away, we have to adapt. Sitting on our hands is waste of time. Time for the likes of Varadkar to get off his hole, make a plan and get things moving with a way forward. Waiting for a vaccine is pure pie in the sky, you can’t hide under the bed for the next two years in “lockdown”
It was shocking to see how busy the Salthill Prom was on today’s RTÉ News at 6.
The Prom is for local access ONLY while restrictions are in place. Today there was a couple from Tuam interviewed by RTÉ while walking the Prom. They should be fined for breaching restrictions.
The Gardai and community wardens will be ticketing any unauthorised cars parked in or around Salthill tomorrow and there will be an increased Garda presence.
I’d ask locals to reports anyone who is breaching the restrictions to the local Gardai on patrol. If this continues, Galway City Council will be forced to close off the Prom fully. This would be unfair on locals and will hopefully be avoided.
Please continue to adhere to restrictions and stay disciplined this weekend. Let’s not undo all the good work we’ve done over the last number of weeks. Nobody wants these restrictions in place for the rest of the summer. Unfortunately, if we get complacent there will be no choice but to continue these restrictions.
We will all enjoy these amenities when this all settles down. Please make the right choice.
Probably in steps like recommended in the US. I’ve never understood the 2km restriction, what difference does it make if someone goes for a 2 km or 10km walk, run or cycle? I think masks will become the norm for a long time when people are out shopping, etc. Restaurants and bars will figure it out, I’d say we will see massive growth in beer gardens / eating and drinking under circus tents.
On the Champs Elysse there are many restaurants where you can eat in or out. No one eats indoors. Every brasserie in Paris has something similar. Large outdoor eating areas. Our weather doesn’t lend itself to that but perhaps they can do it with more shelter.
If it was 10km 30 thousand dubs would immediately go to a walking trail in the dublin mountains that would be overwhelmed with 200 people. Theres a huge lack of public amenity space, parks etc here.
We’re wearing masks here for a week now. It’s a nuisance at first but you get used to it. It’s a small price to pay for reopening the economy. No point hoping for a vaccine they haven’t found one for the previous Coronaviruses. We can’t stay locked up indefinitely.
