@Aleks Ander: not using tests that are 50% reliable in asymptomatic people was a sensible and logical decision; as were, and are, measures designed to prevent transmission. It’s thanks to our Govt Ireland’s cumulative Covid case and death rates are amongst the lowest in Europe, not to mention our ICU per capita number being a fifth of the EU average for past few months. Then again a certain cohort always looks to blame others, rather than exercise personal responsibility.

@Steve: other countries talked about delta and used other means than simply lockdown. Spain numbers are high but they opened everything. The countries that did controlled opening and testing fared better than us. Sorry my standards are higher, it’s not good enough to not be the worst

@Football in the Groin: people need to follow the rules but they don’t. Is this the only government where it’s always the individuals fault? Other countries have protests and raves and parties and they find a way to slow this down. It says more about the government for letting people go wild and then blaming them instead of providing public services and utilities to let people live with the virus. Living with the virus isn’t supposed to be locked indoors living in fear, it should be knowing who isn’t a threat and letting society open up slowly to reward people for lockdowns and taking vaccines

@Aleks Ander: how did they force people to do things indoors?

@Stephen Kearon: yup, you definitely are smarter than the health leaders of Germany, Canada, and Denmark! People behave like pigs in those countries but antigen testing helps reduce it. it’s why they are doing a massive U turn and will be using them soon. Unfortunately it’s TOO LATE! as is my initial point. as always, too late, too slow. Us Irish are not progressive or innovative and critiquing the government like this is the first step

@Aleks Ander:

“Sorry my standards are higher”….. Would you ever get off that high horse & stop pontificating. If you really want to make a contribution then go run for election so you can save the country from mediocrity.

@Aleks Ander: I don’t understand your comments. Other countries have protests and raves and parties, but it’s the government’s for letting people here go wild? Can you clarify what it is you are trying to say?

@Elaine Phelan: because they didn’t invest in outdoor heating, patios, and parks the way other countries did. Ireland is notorious for not having nature other than cow pastures, other places create environments for people to sit out and avoid crowds. Because Ireland didn’t provide enough of it people stayed indoors where it’s spreads

I must respectfully call that a load of codswallop. What metric are you using for “fared better than us”?

@Elaine Phelan: yes, because they didn’t have antigen testing for example. Because they had minimal investment in public parks, benches, toilets, and outdoor facilities that encouraged socializing in open environments, state approved, than private socializing indoors without the state knowing.

@Aleks Ander: we look forward to you getting elected and serving the public and making these decisions.

@Steve: you can look up the numbers in Canada, or even Ontario for example. Or Germany if you want Europe. They have done everything I’ve listed, which is why I’m even advocating for them. Antigen testing, mass PCR campaigns and walk in clinics for PCR everywhere, proper police enforcement, and investment in outdoor facilities

@Steve: The delta variant was discovered in the UK at the start of May. That was a fair few weeks before it was here. Inevitable that a highly infectious strain that was in our next door neighbour, one with which we share a border…… So there was a warning

@Aleks Ander: now I might be reaching here so telle if I am wrong, but I am guessing from your name and how you write that you are not Irish. I am wondering why you choose to live here if it is so bad?

@Connor Coady: If the govt had adopted mass rapid testing like other countries have we would be in a better position the deal with delta. There would have been less covid in the community. It would be caught faster because testing would be everywhere and not allowed spread as fast. NPHET were against it.

@Stephen Kearon: The rapid testing is working in other countries and thats a fact despite what NPHET say!!! Real world results of this approach are more relevant than the opinions of NPHET. And we could have been in a much better place now had they adopted the rapid testing approach…… Nearly a year in level 5 isn’t something to be proud of. Our figures should be lower considering how harsh our lockdown was and only hides the mistakes made from people like you who look at the current cumulative figures and think they’re great. Theres more to life than lockdowns, why not stay permanently locked down until covid is totally gone?!?!?

@Paul Hedderman: it appears my sarcasm went over your head.

@Steve: Sorry pal…. A a few beers in (face palm)

@Aleks Ander: Yes Aleks, people do need to follow the rules like responsible adults. People who don’t are getting Covid, it’s pretty simple really. Make the government a scapegoat all you want but they are providing the guidelines needed to avoid getting Covid, do you really need your hand held more than that?

@Aleks Ander: What countries are slowing Delta down ?

@Aleks Ander: hopefully you will be a successful candidate in next election,you appear to have all the solutions

@Aleks Ander: the people and the pandemic got us in the situation. Cop on!

@Elaine Phelan: why shouldn’t he live here? Hes trying to compare approaches by other countries to make things better here. He maybe right or wrong or half right but his residency is irelevant.

@Paul Hedderman: what does an antigen test mean for society? Negative – I’m free to do what I like, positive – I am infected, infectious, previously infected….?

@Stephen Kearon: If it was sensible how come other European countries used them where suitable? Or why have a lot of non NPHET experts recommended them. PCR is the best but if we could have used antigen tests more regularly with even 50% accuracy we would have picked up a lot more cases quickly before they began to spread. Ireland’s death rates are low in part due to our young population and also because of crude lockdowns, necessary at times but shouldn’t have been necessary for this long. Literally anybody can call for a lockdown. It requires a bit more critical thinking to blend a few different suppression methods (short lockdowns, airport testing, wider testing including antigen testing, properly resourced contact tracing). We basically used lockdown as our only strategy. It has done immense economic damage to the country, we could have saved the lives with a better overall strategy (not to mention 10 months into a pandemic you could walk through the airport here without even a negative PCR test). Personal responsibility obviously comes into it but when you can get COVID due to somebody else’s mistakes, then Government should have measures to keep that as low a possibility as possible. Our overall response from Government has been terrible, one strategy and often employed too late. This is also their second time swanning off on holidays during a pandemic (yes they deserve time off but 6 weeks during a pivotal time in a pandemic?)

@Aleks Ander: The local governments did add street furniture. It’s up to the pubs and clubs to handle outdoor dining if they can, people may have “stayed indoors” but not in pubs. House parties were rare. What are you arguing.

@Aleks Ander: are you for real . The government got us in to this position you say . A rampant respiratory evolving virus and all of us knowing how it spreads and importantly how to stop it spread and you blame the government . Mind boggling

@Paul Hedderman: doing the same. Enjoy!

@Aleks Ander: We have some of the best numbers in Europe. So less of the we are doomed stuff. Its a race and it will be close. We could only stay locked down for so long.

@Aleks Ander: “Ireland is notorious for nor having nature other than cow pastures”… Give over. What a ridiculous thing to say. Even just in Dublin, phoenix park is the biggest urban park in Europe. Even in level 5, within 5 Kms of home, I had 5 massive parks to walk my dogs

@Aleks Ander: “Ireland is notorious for not having nature other than cow pastures”… Give over. Seriously? Even just in Dublin, phoenix park is the biggest urban park in Europe. Even in level 5 lockdown, I had 5 huge parks and a beach to being my dogs for a walk. That is utterly ridiculous and really insulting

@Aidan O’ Neill: If they got it so wrong why did the EU commissioner said what a brilliant job Ireland had done managing the pandemic and why our numbers are so good.
Why are we almost ready to reopen as other countries go back to lockdown. Or the UK with nearly 50,000 new cases today. Sure they got it all wrong.

@Aleks Ander: Bit we are among the best, behind Finland and Denmark. Other than them we are doing really well.
We are not able to close our land border like they did.

@Aleks Ander: The government made mistakes, opening up at Christmas being the biggest one, the nursing homes was another but in fairness all the countries got caught with that.
The government played there part and the citizens must play theirs too. Some of us di and some did not.
Thankfully the majority did or we would be in a hell of a mess. We are doing OK, we are getting there and we will soon be free of our problems. The rest of Europe and the basket case that is the UK I am not so sure when they will be.

@Aleks Ander: We are not a nation for outdoor dining, never were and never will be.
So the government should have bough patio heaters. Right that is the solution.
We have loads of outdoors that is not pasture land. The biggest walled park in Europe in Dublin.
I am sure the government will resign in shame when the realise the big mistake was not having patio heaters. Or you advising them of course.

@Aleks Ander: Our numbers are better than all of those countries.

@Football in the Groin: Exactly this place has a good few chancers alright

@Paul Hedderman: The rapid testing is about 50% right, Personally I dont want to take the chance of being infected. They tried it in Holland and Spain and had massive breakouts after two concerts.
We play it very cautious and the numbers say it was the right way to go.

@john smith iv: He seems to be arguing that everyone is “locked indoors in fear” because they aren’t currently dining indoors. IDK what he wants – in or out?

@Gary Kearney: she was hardly going to come over here and tell us we are terrible was she? We are not almost ready to re-open. The Tánaiste has said he can’t rule out more restrictions and that there will at least be restrictions all the way through winter. I know the UK got it all wrong. I’m not talking about the UK. I’m talking about our Government having literally one strategy, while other countries use integrated strategies. Take Denmark, behind us in vaccines but with similar case levels despite pubs and restaurants being open for several weeks and hosting several Euro 2020 games. Our numbers are ok. Our numbers are ok. For the length of lockdown we have had our numbers are poor. Literally any person could suggest a lockdown. Better strategies are a bit harder and we failed badly on that end. Apart from the two weeks in December (you know the time we really should have been at level 5) we were in level 5 for over 6 months. Why did it take until late January 2020 for arrivals to need to provide a negative PCR test? That could easily have been brought in last summer. The only thing that’s been done well in the pandemic is the vaccine rollout and that’s because somebody else does the logistics.

@Gary Kearney: that’s a gross exaggeration. There was no breakout after the concert in Spain. In the Netherlands they opened nightclubs for people with vaccine pass or negative test but they were easily to replicate and a lot of people used fake passes to enter. That’s what caused the outbreak.

@Brian Mc Mahon: Why do they want to keep people scared?

@Aleks Ander: Most free country in the world

@Aleks Ander: based on what metrics? Ireland never had curfews that were common place elsewhere in Europe (which are currently back in force in Spain and Portugal)

@Brian Mc Mahon: Thankfully community positivity from testing reduced yesterday from 8.4% to 6.7%,” he tweeted.

I think you want to be told to be scared so you can say no to being scared. There’s nothing terrifying in that article, cases are rising and hospitalisations are increasing albeit in small numbers, it is a concern.

@Connor Coady: have you talked too any older people in the West,my family are scared too even have people with the vaccine into there home

@Stephen Kearon: curfew is nothing when you realize people work and don’t want to be out after 10pm on weekdays every week. Meanwhile Garda telling me to go inside for having a coffee with my gf outside my flat “for my safety”. This is the difference between Irish “freedom” and others’

@Aleks Ander: tell us all about how terrible you’re suffering is under these draconian restrictions

@Stephen Kearon: Why would we need curfews when we were in level 5 for nearly a year

@Brian Mc Mahon: if it scares you so much don’t read it. I’m not scared, just informed.

@Brian Mc Mahon: That’s not what I asked at all Brian. Again, why are they trying to keep people scared?

@Brian Mc Mahon: No it is to stop the deadly virus spreading to more people before they are vaccinated. You did read the part he said it was a race between the virus and the vaccine.

@Aleks Ander:If it upsets you that much leave. As you are never happy about anything that the country does.
We manage the lock downs because it was the best thing for all thee people. Nobody I know enjoyed it.
Some of us managed it better than others for various reasons. I cant ever say I enjoyed not being able to do what I wanted or go where I wanted.
I accepted it as it was for the greater good.
We as a nation are good at that. As I said if you don’t like the way we run the country, then don’t slam the door on your way out.

@Brian Mc Mahon: couldn’t agree more, all browned off at this stage.

@Stephen Kearon: The old percentages on a small base of numbers trick, we see what you did there Stephen….yawn…

@Stephen Kearon: Huh?

@Stephen Kearon: wow amazing number crunching – just looking at the stats there – your comments are 135% more annoying than last weeks and you officially just made it into the top 1% of bell ends – well done

@David Clements: At least you answered honestly David!

@Connor Coady: you meant What instead of Which

@Edel O’Dea: those numbers are reported literally every day

@Edel O’Dea: No reply? Spoofer so.

@Edel O’Dea: There have been deaths, 17 last time I checked over two weeks. It is on the ECDP site. They are the only definite covid related deaths, others will show up in time on the paper system that is used at present

@David Clements: Thanks. The right to go on holiday freely. The right to go for a meal indoors. The right to move outside 5km. I mean the list is enlist isn’t it David

@Stephen Kearon: Me and my wife( nurse )both suffer from long covid I am breathless after doing few stairs my wife experience a lot of headaches ( she never had them before) and she is getting tired very easy.
Does this mean we have to be locked in for another few years? We don’t deserve normal life we both fully vaccinated. We have to learn how to live with covid not going from lockdown to lockdown is not the way.

@artur fil: welcome to the world of ME/CFS

@Stephen Kearon: Those 5,018 people in Ireland didn’t social distance or wash their hands enough….. 75% of them are under 35 so they’ll probably all be fine. Green pass on the way to them soon so they can enjoy their long covid on a beach abroad.

@Paul Hedderman: 75% of COVID deaths in Ireland have been in under 35s ?

@Paul Hedderman: 100% of the 5,018 are under 6 feet of soil

@WCS: 75% of cases…… And 88% are under 45s…… Vaccienes work

@WCS: misread the comment. Thought the 5,018 was currently infected.

@Stephen Kearon: Tens of thousands !!!extreme exaggeration.

@WCS: He’s on the glue again

@john: the North is lovely this time of year

@Kevin50: No they are not. People in border counties travel back and forward daily for work, school, hospital apps,doctors, shopping etc. It would not be feasible.

@Cillian Duffy: a bit harsh there Cillian first time round lol

@Cillian Duffy: yes that’s when the consultants are playing golf. No chance of a discharge then…

@Billybutcher: I spoke to a consultant last week and he did not sound like he could play a round of crochet let alone a round of golf. All the medical staff and other front line staff are almost out on their feet.

@Franny Ando: No. That’s a sure fire way of guaranteeing the same disaster that we had in Jan and Feb. Reopening with restrictions would be logical if we had all age cohorts vaccinated but we are not there yet….

@Elaine Phelan: Yes, if we can guarantee the good weather like we are enjoying now. I love this hot weather and outdoor dining, good business for restaurants/pubs. When it’s back to rain restaurants/pubs will loose business. Open up now but with restrictions eg: table service only, spread out the tables and reservations for indoor dining. They do this in Europe,
They also have a curfew between 21hrs and 05 am businesses can operate during the day including restaurants/pubs.

@PJ Beatty: ya your right