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Updated 10am
TWO IRISH PEOPLE have been confirmed dead following yesterday’s earthquake in the New Zealand city of Christchurch.
Rodney Walshe, the Honorary Consul General in New Zealand, has confirmed to TheJournal.ie this morning that they have two confirmed fatalities from Ireland.
Walshe confirmed that the two people had been permanent residents in Christchurch. The Department of Foreign Affairs has confirmed that the two deceased are men.
One is understood to be from County Monaghan. RTE News has named him as Owen McKenna, in his mid 40s.
The other man is understood to be a British passport holder with Irish heritage.
The DFA also told TheJournal.ie that there are “serious concerns” for a further two Irish people still missing.
A spokesperson also said that they have more general concerns for another ten Irish people in New Zealand that so far remain unaccounted for.
Walshe had earlier said that of the eight people he knew were unaccounted for it is unlikely that all of these were injured or deceased.
A national state of emergency has been declared in New Zealand following the 6.3 magnitude earthquake hit Christchurch yesterday.
The total death toll so far stands at 75 although this is expected to rise into the hundreds as many remain trapped beneath the wreckage with rescuers continuing to work to free people.
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Maybe it’s time the government admit we have a third world health system? If we were properly funded I doubt the increase in numbers would be a huge issue for the health system yet?
@Michael: What do you mean not probably funded??? The country spent 21 billion on health in 2017 and it has gone up every year since. Our health system is well funded but terribly run.
@Michael: Conehead and Mehole are a match made in hell.
@Donal Hogan: I agree. It’s run in the same way you spell.
@Donal Hogan: properly run then
@Michael: and this is exactly why Germany only has a rate of 33. Because their health system is the best.
@Donal Hogan: it’s a runaway train, the health budget , and now these people control the general economy , what could possibly go wrong
@Michael: Its well funded, but those funds are well wasted, we are 4th in the world per capita spending and 40% have private health insurance. With a population comparable to Manchester we should have one of the best health services in the world, but instead we have the HSE who like our Gov and higher echelons of the Civil Service never have to take responsibility for incompetence and failure, so it does and will continue until we get all the reform and acceptance of responsibility that FG promised after the crash.
@Donal Hogan: it is a shambles
@Michael: apparently our health system is one of the most funded in the Western world.
@Rob Foley: yep. Michael corrected me thankfully.
@Michael: well funded. Mismanaged.
@Michael: No funding issue with HSE but poor attitude by all staff including the glorified front line workers. No accountability and 70′s union controlled working practices add to the mayhem.
@Donal Hogan: I agree the funding is there, but a lot of miss management
@Mary Garry: Total & complete miss-management and a cover up culture.
@Roger Dawson: We have our own Trump here in Ireland.
Self promoting Buffoons. Hoodwinking State Spongers
@Michael: we are 4th in spending per capita in the Eu on health – every cent of income tax by PAYE in this country goes to health – it is not funding – the system needs complete reform – you only need to examine the levels of money we waste – billions on a single hospital build , an extra 600 million last week at the stroke of a pen – they are well able to spend money – they are way overstaffed in admin and mgt in the HSE ands there is a huge room for leveraging technology to bring efficiencies to the system in Ireland – the losts that needs to be done , but I dont buy that under funding line at all – the stats and evidence does not support it imo
@Michael: We fund the HSE 21bn
Its mismanagement and the fact its a public system rather than a private system where the problem lies
@Michael: exactly its so frustrating ..The government’s approach is rinse and repeat and they never look at the health service and change something. The government are useless.
@Michael: are you willing to pay more income tax to fund this?
@Da_Dell: And the Irish people are at fault because they continue to vote in people who won’t fix it.
@Michael Duckster: We need a Thatcher type to smash the unions.
@Bain triail aisti: We should bring in the Germans to sort it.
@Michael: we have the most funded health service in the developed world but it’s a black hole due to the incompetence in of the muppets running it.
@Roger Dawson: Most childish comment of the day, grow up and cop yourself on.
@RampantMisanthropy: The only thing the Irish people are at fault for is stupidly believing what politicians say to get elected.
@Roger Dawson: well your in good company
@Michael: tool.
@Donal Hogan: How much of it was spent on recruiting doctors , nurses and hospital beds and how much was spent on administrative staff and bigwigs ? That’s excluding of course the most expensive Children’s Hospital in the world that to my knowledge , and I might be wrong , is not even open yet
Level 5 incoming in 10 to 14 days
@VJH: absolutely yes I agree
@VJH: no country will ever go full lockdown again. I’m guessing the kids could have a 3 week mid term break and maybe we will have a level 4 during those 3 weeks.
@VJH: thats what i feel too, we’ll be eased into it . Will be a nightmare .
@VJH: We deserve it as there are still clowns going around as if there isn’t a global crisis.
@Paul Furey: Israel just did.
@VJH: I bought 3 months worth of tuna and pasta. Today.
@Paul Furey: Israel did…..
@Stephen Gaffney: don’t forget flour for baking
@VJH: What would you recommend if level 5 restrictions fail?
@Paul Furey: the teachers would want compensation for missing their holidays!
@VJH: They may be waiting to see the results of Operation Tailback.
They threw out the idea of level 5 nationwide and like a child bargaining to stay up a bit later we accepted level 3 with no questions asked!
@Owwwwnnnn: Maybe it was on purpose to give people a shock.
@RampantMisanthropy: if Leo’s spin doctors had anything to do with it…..
Under the government guidelines…level 3 states that bars/cafes/restaurants can open with restrictions in place… they’re making this up as the go along….shambles.
@Billy Big Baws: ofcourse they are making it up as they go along. If you know where the book “how to deal with covid19 for dummies” please pass it to government.
@Billy Big Baws: well that was laid out ages ago. There are several other measures laid out in Level 3 also, for sporting occasions, inddor gatherings, chruch events, etc. Not really sure what your point is.
@JDel: if you look at the government graph, level 3 is very vague for pubs, whereas level 4 states up to 15 people outdoors, so pubs and restaurants are going to level 4.
@Billy Big Baws: in fairness which historical events can they refer to and learn from. Were in a fully fluid situation so things will keep changing. But hey…..you know better
@Billy Big Baws: I think there must be a few different versions out there – the official one says.. Pubs and restaurants “range of restrictions up to and including no indoor dining”
https://assets.gov.ie/87604/405b1065-055a-4ca8-9513-390ce5298b10.pdf
Some shortened versions I see in newspaper reports omit the official “up to and including no indoor service” for level 3 – The shambles may be that people are looking at unofficial sources and quoting them – hence the official government wet sites should be the ultimate resource.
@Badger the witness: this is great, it means that some places may not have the save level of restrictions for pubs and restaurants if they are considered not needed – too many negative people here, think positive – this is good as full level 3 restrictions on pubs and restaurant may not be needed or applied everywhere.
Dublin is at 3 point something, not 3. It’s like a software update on an Apple iphone. It changes everyday and without warning!
As long as the schools stay open it doesn’t really matter what we do. THAT’S the main cause of rising numbers
@Karl Doyle: Not really. Numbers were already rising at a similar rate for the 4 weeks before the schools opened.
@Karl Doyle: pubs and no social distancing
@Karl Doyle: im guessing the schools will have a 3 week midterm and the country goes to level 4 for those weeks.
@Hector Son: pubs only opened two weeks ago they can’t be blamed. Very few restaurant/bars have had cases. Schools in this area have. Every school bar one has had cases. Why can we not get school numbers. They should close them down for month of October to see if case numbers fall. Unfortunately it won’t happen.
Not looking good. Hopefully people will restrict their movements.
Not taking Tony’s / nephet recommendation is madness!
@Paul Somers: In the real world deaths are down 97 percent on peak. They peaked at a seven day avg of 68 per day. Now at two (including the 8 that were before Sept). We’ve had over 100 cases a day for a month and still having days with no deaths. Yet people still talk about there being a 4 percent Fatality rate. Nonsense. This isn’t what we thought it was and its time for someone in a position of power to have the balls to admit that.
@Teddy: hard to know what the answer is. Lockdown for four weeks then back to normal once they’re eased. People need to stop being 1d1ots and we would be ok.
@Monster Munch: GPO with gemgem and the gang 12 noon Saturday. C u then!!! What an expert you are. In awe so we are! Good boy.
@Gavin Mckenna: They’re muppets. Point out which part of what i said is wrong. Shutting down debate by throwing insults is a far right thing to do. You know that yea?
@Monster Munch: no offence pal but it’s probably best that we wait for the trained medical experts in every country to draw the same conclusion that you have and to advise their respective populations accordingly.
@Monster Munch: Thing is you’re not wrong. They do however have to take into account that if they let it run too freely in society it’s going to get harder to keep it out of hospitals and nursing homes. Also, lots of reports of people having nasty symptoms for months after.
@Teddy:
You Cocoon if you want.
The rest of us have to work and live
Martin, desperate to seem decisive, makes a historically poor decision. This virus is exploding.
@Philip Cooper: actually all his decisions have been poor decisions from the con & supply to accepting the hail mary pass from Leo while blinded by the floodlights of the Taoiseachs office.
@Philip Cooper: Can I borrow your crystal ball for the lotto please?
@Philip Cooper: Actually wait, are you an American pretending to be Irish or an Irish pretending to be American?
Until rapid testing is widespread and available everywhere we’ll go from lockdown to lockdown. 1000s moving through the airports daily and not 1 test. Why is this not a priority?
@John O’Brien: frequent testing didn’t stop the orange oompah loompah from catching it.
@Sara Davis: Try not to be so hateful.
@Sara Davis: yeah but the orange oompa loompah was asking for it really
Brave? Maybe. But any fall out from this decision now rests solely on the Trí-seach. You go against medical advice and own it.
On balance, it is probably the correct decision. I sincerely hope there is massive investment on effective enforcement.
@LangerDan: I think it probably is the right decision but it will all come down to compliance. They are putting huge faith in the people here. If it goes south then the 3 stooges will have their heads on the block.
@LangerDan: Trí-seach…. love it! I see a red-top headline in the making there
The spike in numbers is from the schools opening but that seems to be brushed under the carpet.
@Nurse on call: so how were the cases rising exponentially before the schools opened?
@Stuart: Meat Plants, DP centres, construction sites, Mushroom growers, you know all these areas allowed to open. Of course it was going to spike with schools opening, we were even pre warned of such by NPHET and Gov.
@Stuart: they weren’t rising as fast until schools reopened. Compliance was already sliding in August but kids going back to school seems to have made people think everything was back to normal and too many decided the regulations didn’t apply to them.
It’s quite apparent that they simply can’t afford to subsidise us through a level 5 lockdown.
@Philip Cooper: you mean diminishing number of taxpayers. We will be picking up the bill
@Tony Humphreys: Yip wait till next year, austerity part 2, emigration etc. Hope Im wrong but not taking the chance , exit stage left for me of Friday for a non-EU country and excited to see how they manage to do so well outside the EU utopia.
@Tony Humphreys: may or may not make a dent in the tax bill…start fining people who are not complying.
@Da_Dell: As a fellow migrant I want to wish you all the luck in the world
@Vanessa: Thank you, have done before out of necessity due to Gov policies , this time I going before its a case of having to and get ahead of the queue.
@Thomas: What do the Gov get fined for rejecting NPHET advice?
@Thomas: I’d certainly prefer that than pay the consequences in years to come.
@Philip Cooper: They/we can well afford it… I know this point has been made time and again ad nauseam but if we can afford to bail out banks then we can afford to bail ourselves out. A short term, intensive lock down and strict international travel restrictions would be over a lot quicker than this drawn out carry on, with all of the social and economic benefits inherent therein.
Spoke in numbers is clearly related to schools being open. No spike all summer and then the schools open.
@Nurse on call: have u got the evidence to back up this statement. NPHET have all the stats and are making recommendations with those in mind
@Angela O’Riordan: One should home school their kids.
Ask people what the difference is between level 2 and level 3, and I’d bet 90% couldn’t tell you. What’s the point?
@Darren Smith: I’ll tell you one difference – anyone who teaches exercise/dance classes of any kind have to shut their business again. Including my martial arts school that is being run impeccably hygienically. But the blunt instrument, shuts us all down, again.
@Darren Smith: when we were at level 2 the nphet Dr Glynn whatshisface was syaing we should behave like we were already in level 3-4-5 to avoid all these higher level restrictions. Like you said – whats the point?
I can’t decide if this is bravery or cowardice.
@Michael Jay: It’s all or nothing I feel but typical of the lads in power they’ve decided to half-as$ it.
@Michael Jay: it is brave in standing up to your advisors in health because you are too afraid to face down the economic short term thinkers. People will die in their hundreds because of this pride.
@King B: tropuble is we cant have all or nothing until there is a vaccine or a treatment that knocks the legs out of the orrible virus
Well done NPHET. The kids can go to school but the parents in the hospitality sector won’t be able to afford to feed them. Genius
This decision again is being made by people who have the financial backing of the state behind them, what about those of us who have weekly monthly payments to make and no way of earning that money. There’s a lot of us in financial trouble what do we do now?
Load of moaning comments so far. Ill bet if they went for lock down you would all be moaning as well. Moaney phukin michaels
Let’s all remember 5th October 2020. The day our Sham government ignored the advice of hard working Health Experts.
SHAME on them !
@Tony Kennedy: the grimreaper
@Tony Kennedy:
They are over paid Muppets
@Tony Kennedy: if they took the advice then they would have been called a sham government anyway. It’s a no win situation. Haven’t seen any comments from the opposition, SF, on it. Would they have gone to level 5?
@GrumpyAulFella: They would have kneecapped the virus.
@Pat Mc Cormack:
The health experts of NPHET are overpaid muppets ? And what do you do to earn a crust, pray tell ? Knock us all out with your own qualifications and experience there Pat … ** post Junior Cert if possible.
Great start to the stay and spend scheme!
@Anne Marie Devlin: exactly what I said to my husband..
Good decision by the government. I dont envy them one bit as with every decision they are damned if they do and damned if they dont. Whilst we may have to go to level five eventually now was not the right time to go the nuclear option.
@Sally: ayeeee yeaaahhh. The government bottled it because they knew what would happen
@Sally: You agree thats its a good decision to reject the NPHET advice, fair enough. Then don’t be complaining and calling people names when people do the same and ignore NPHET and/or Gov advice then.
@Da_Dell: you mean govt advice obviously. You do realise that govt have the final say yes? So maybe people have been slating others for not taking govt advice then if that makes you feel better. Why not just leave NPHET out of it seeing as they don’t have the final say anyway and just heed govt advice?
@GrumpyAulFella: I personally dont give a fiddlers anymore pal. Mandatory or compulsory. .. Gov advice versus expert medical advice etc etc. You have been slating people for having contrary views to so called experts while now defending the Gov for having a diff view and the Gov are experts in nothing bar keeping themselves in power.
So Donegal, Cork, Dublin and Monaghan are at level 3/3.x, while counties with almost no cases, like Leitrim, are at the same level? What nonsense.
@JDel: Same as Kilkenny, absolute Joke.
People need to get a grip.
I am not the government’s biggest fan but, they have bankrolled hundreds of thousands of people, stepped in and prevented tens of thousands of evictions, given people mortgage breaks, offered grants for SME to get back up and running and it’s still not enough.
@Jack Inman: ah stop will ya. It’s not like it’s coming out of their pockets…….It’s coming out of ours. They’re some hero’s alright, bring the country to its knees and we’re supposed to be grateful?
Lovely little nationwide level 3 sneak attack we got there
Managed to make effectively closing all pubs and restaurants seem like they were doing us a favour
Rip the economy is all I’ll say
Some may believe it’s good news that we not going to level 5 I think it bad news that we not going to level zero.
It’s the right decision. If our icu is over run in a fortnight heads will role. Now in a position where government has ignored health advice from a body formed to advise
@Vinny Clare:If we had adequate ICU capacity and a better health service like other countries we wouldnt have to worry about that, would we.
@Vinny Clare: damned either way. It is just advice though, not direction. They can choose to heed or ignore it. These are huge health v wealth decisions. Who’d want to be making these calls?
@Pauline Gallagher: didn’t feel the need to state the obvious
@GrumpyAulFella: exactly
@GrumpyAulFella: You are always giving out about the people who choose to not heed the advice, now you makes excuses when the Gov choose to ignore the advice. Fair enough but you can stop giving out about the people now.
@Da_Dell: really? When people ignore advice like wearing masks, not social distancing etc from both NPHET and govt then yeah I have a big problem with that. Who wouldn’t? If the government has to make a tight decision on L3 v L5 considering economic and health factors then I think extending the lockdown, as they have done, to L3 for the whole country is probably the right step just now. At least they have L5 in reserve and have still taken action. What do you think yourself?
@GrumpyAulFella: I think you like many are a hypocrite and a me feiner, your tune changes depending on how things affect you and not on what is best for the all.
I think this is a stunt pulled by the govt. They gotten such a bad rap from the public over doing exactly what NPHET says they have spent a fortune on PR people. Now they have set the plan in motion. They leaked NPHET’s letter on purpose and then come in like heroes and not do a level 5 but instead a level 3. Their hope is that their approval rating goes up!!! Yet carnage ensues all over the country. Christmas panic buying ect….
@great gael of Eire: so you wanted them to do a level 5 then??
In other words they ignored the specialists advice to go to Level 5!
Not goin to change a thing
Thanks from Co, Mayo! Obey the rules and stay away from people as much as possible and they still lock you down.
@Kathleen McHale-Harvey: is mayo being locked down no other county is
It’s political speak for, a couple of thousand deaths is a small price to pay to keep the economy going.
Economies recover, dead people don’t.
@Andrew Giles: get a grip man, barely nobody is dying, grim reaper
@mark o donovan: over 1800 so far, there will be more, not to mention whatever long term effects recovered sufferers may have on their lungs, which, only time will tell, but as long as we can have a pint, that’s all that matters.
The selfishness in this country is outstanding, we really do have an I’m alright Jack mentality.
@Andrew Giles: This thing being with us all year causing fear and panic.
But in the midland town I live in nobody knows anyone who has had the virus or died from it.
@Michael Maher: that’s good to hear, I personally don’t know anyone who died from it, but, I do know someone, my age, who nearly did, was very bad in ICU, but, thankfully recovered, and I know a few others who had it, who have seemingly made a full recovery, but, one I know, who is young and plays football, says he gets breathless a lot easier now when playing or training.
@Andrew Giles: well he won’t need to worry about getting breathless from football for the next little while
Let’s do what we’re told. FOR ONCE
@Pat Andrews: maybe if we done it from the start we wouldnt be in this mess
@Pat Andrews: 99.9999% of people did it made no difference it is high time people like you woke up and lived in the real world and stop spouting misery
@Michael Maher: 99.99%? Certainly not what I see when out shopping or on way to/from work. The majority of people I see don’t even seem to know how to wear a mask
@Michael Maher: well that’s a pile of crap and you know it. This virus is being spread from person to person. It’s widely accepted that social distancing is effective in reducing the spread, throw the other measures in and it’s even more effective in reducing the spread. Follow the guidelines and reduce the spread, it’s not that hard.
@EillieEs: You are marching right and everyone else is wrong?
@Derek Lyster: Is it hard for you to understand that the majority are following the guidelines but he thing is still rising . locking down the whole country will not work ,You have got to learn to live with it and keep people working until such a time as a vaccine is found
Anyone know is this from tonight??
@ianglen: yes.
@ianglen: no tomorrow midnight. Which means it ends Tuesday after the Oct Bank Holiday. Another weekend f@#ked
@Stuart: no
@ianglen: From midnight TOMORROW night
@ianglen: from midnight TOMORROW ( Tuesday ) night
Pointless. Level 5 incoming
Leo and FF had 10 years to fix it and we couldn’t even build a children’s hospital without making it the most hospital in the world. When made minister for health Leo famously said he wouldn’t have enough time in his term to fix anything so he promptly didn’t bother
Ask people what the difference is between level 2 and level 3, and I’d bet 90% couldn’t tell you. Pointless.
@Darren Smith: level 2, I have a job. Level 3, I’m unemployed.
@Brian Ó Dálaigh: Nail on the head bud.
Level 5 would be impossible to enforce or at least you would have plenty disobeying the rules.
Absolute joke, shameful
I think they need a mathematician on the board to explain what the term “exponential” really means.
What are the additional restrictions for the so called wet pub
@Jim Moran: they can only serve maximum of 15 people outside. I think!
@Irene Millar: In other words, its not worth their while opening and most of them wont be bothering. Most town pubs dont even have outdoor seating.
@Pauline Gallagher: Who in their right mind would sit outside in this weather anyway, its pointless
@Pauline Gallagher: Quite a lot never opened anyways.
Dicombobulation on a large scale.
Ah sure let’s wait till a few more get sick, no panic here
Government cant afford a level 5 restriction, they owe 9 billion in depth to the European bank in loans to cover this
Absolute joke, shameful.
Those this mean third level can still be open
@Darren Farrell: if you’re in third level, it’s lost on you! Those this mean ….
@Darren Farrell: if only there was a government website with all this info, perhaps even in a simple little colour-coded graph for people to refer to…..
@JDel: is it third level education open or not only level three restrictions
@Spot the d0g: maybe he’s not in third level education,but so what it’s ok to be a keyboard bully
Level 3 is such a roaring success in Dublin they decided to impose it everywhere. Certainly fills you with confidence in our politics. Level 5 on the way
Wondering if not leaving the county is law or recommendation. Asking in relation to ‘staycation’
@Vanessa: it’s little things like this that may have been part of the problem that has led us to this point.
@Derek Lyster: I’m asking as I followed government recommendations and staying here and mostly at home.
Yeah, probably it’s me meeting 6 different people in 6 months who caused that. You got me. *roll eyes*
@Vanessa: you’re missing the point, what if everyone decides not to follow the guidelines?
Lots have chosen not to follow and have kept the virus going. I am in no way pointing the finger at you, i’m just making the point that we all need to follow the guidelines or things will only get worse. Btw, well done for the sacrifices thst you have made so far it’s just a shame that some havent bothered one bit.
@Derek Lyster: I followed the guidelines and booked staycation as I was asked to do.
Do we still support them? Do I make a chargeback and spend the money in the county?
I can’t control what others are doing. That’s something the government could have done.
@Vanessa: i was heading to Mayo this weekend but that’s out the window but so be it. I understand you can’t control what other people, everyone is responsible for their own actions so lets all hope that everyone follows the guidelines and help in getting the numbers down.
@Vanessa: recommendation. FACT
Poo
It is Monday 10pm is Tuesday midnight in 2 hours time (I think so ) or 26 hours time ???? Could they not have picked another time!!!!
Government: Grasp the nettle and stop faffing about!
may hole bojo Martin.
Just install those Hurricane alarms in every county, weeeer weeeer weeer Everyone back in doors
Restrictions are pointless unless they are adheard to. Dont think anyone has got it right or found the correct solution. Its all a guessing game and mistakes will be made.
have your say