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A RAFT OF new public health measures have been announced to combat the spread of Covid-19.
It follows a meeting of the National Public Health Emergency Team this morning, with these measures then finalised at a meeting of Cabinet this afternoon.
The Taoiseach said this afternoon measures were agreed in three areas – preventing the spread of the virus, helping those who lost their jobs and new emergency legislation. Minister for Health Simon Harris says all of this will seem “surreal” to people, but the government would be honest with the Irish public throughout this crisis.
These measures will take effect from tonight and remain in place until Sunday 19 April.
All non-essential retail outlets are being told to close, with restaurants and cafes told to close unless they can offer a take-away option. Supermarkets and pharmacies will remain open.
Other retailers deemed essential include opticians, fuel stations, laundries, banks, post offices, credit unions and hardware stores.
There will be no restrictions on the amount of times a person can leave their home a day but people are being told not to exceed groups of four people.
Individuals should work from home unless workplace attendance is essential.
All theatres, clubs, gyms/leisure centres, hairdressers, betting shops, marts, markets, casinos, bingo halls, libraries and similar outlets are to close.
All sporting events are cancelled, including those behind closed doors. All playgrounds and holiday/caravan parks to close.
All hotels are to limit occupancy to essential non-social and non-tourist reasons.
All places of worship are to restrict numbers entering at any one time to ensure people observe social distancing. All organised social indoor or outdoor events of any size are not to take place.
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All crowded places, including public amenities, should be avoided.
All non-essential indoor visits to other persons’ homes should be avoided.
Gardaí are to increase interventions where venues or outlets are not in compliance with, or where groups of people are not adhering to recommended social distancing measures.
Schools – originally told to close until 29 March – will not re-open on Monday with the closure order set to be extended.
The Taoiseach said that contingency plans are being worked on to allow the Leaving Cert exams to go ahead. ”We’ll do everything possible to make sure the Leaving Cert goes ahead,” he said.
On all of these measures, Varadkar said: “I wouldn’t use the term lockdown.”
The term seems to mean different things for different countries, and what we need now is clarity, the Taoiseach said. “I think it’s a term that actually causes more confusion than clarity,” he said, so it’s not one he’ll be using.
Chief medical officer Tony Holohan said the measures have had to be stepped up due to the fact more than 1,000 cases of Covid-19 have been confirmed in the Republic.
He said: “Forty-five per cent of the cases have been community transmission where we have not been able to identify the original source through contact tracing and one in four of the cases are healthcare workers.
We need to move rapidly, comprehensively and quickly. That is why we have stepped up the measures.
Welfare and businesses
Varadkar confirmed the government is to increase the Covid-19 Pandemic Unemployment Support payment for people from €203 to €350 who have been laid off due to the virus.
The payment will also apply to the self-employed who are affected by Covid-19.
An emergency wage subsidy scheme will also come into effect whereby the government will pay 70% of a worker’s salary up to a cap of €410 per week net – equivalent to the after-tax income of a worker on around €40,000.
An eligible employer will be supported by up to 70% of the income but the employer is expected to make “best efforts” to maintain as close to 100% of normal income as possible for the subsidised period. There will be “severe penalties” for any abuse of the scheme.
Employers must self-declare to Revenue that they have experienced significant negative economic disruption due to Covid-19, with a minimum of 25% decline in turnover, and an inability to pay normal wages and other outgoings, in accordance with guidance to be issued by Revenue.
Minister for Social Protection Regina Doherty said that original estimates of 400,000 job losses due to the crisis was a “conservative figure”.
Related Reads
Private hospitals will be made public for duration of coronavirus pandemic
Varadkar also said private hospitals “will act effectively as public hospitals” for the duration of the Covid-19 pandemic.
He said: “Private hospitals have agreed to do this on a not-for-profit basis.
“Public and private patients will be treated equally.”
Health Minister Harris said patients with Covid-19 will be treated for free in a single national hospital service.
Harris said all private hospitals will be public or run by the State for the duration of the pandemic.
He said: “There can be no public vs private here.”
Economy
At the same press conference, the government said that alongside the public health crisis, the economy is also in jeopardy.
“It needs speed and it needs scale,” Minister for Finance Paschal Donohoe said, acknowledging that citizens are under “intense strain”.
The measures to cover Covid-19 pandemic unemployment payment as well as the 70% wages for workers will cost an estimated €3.7 billion over a 12-week period.
“We must act now to avoid an even greater economic challenge in the future,” he said.
There’ll also be support for renters – through legislation to prevent rent increases or the termination of tenancies – and mortgage holders.
So far, 1,125 people have been diagnosed with Covid-19 in Ireland and six people have died. It is expected that the number of cases will rise significantly in the coming days and weeks.
With reporting from Christina Finn
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How are factories and construction sites not closing. Hundreds of people on some sites it’s near impossible to avoid people. And some tasks or heavy lifting need 2 or more people.
@Yorkie1892: Goos point. Some construction is essential and should continue. Social housing, temporary hospitals and utility repairs are in this bracket. Data centres, offices and luxury residential are not and should be closed down.
@Yorkie1892: many factories do deal with food and pharma, you say many dont, so what-we should close all? Some factories surely have the capability to enact HSE policy. Heavy lifting, with correct forward planning, should be done by plant on a construction site . If tasks take two men in close quarters, wear a face mask and gloves and dont work with the man for more than 10 minutes at a time. Theres a logical solution to each point you raised but your reaction of close it all down is not sensible or logical. Systems can and should be implemented to keep the risk minimised. We need taxes, we cant all just stop and expect it to remain that way for who knows how long-we will run out of money, we will run out of food and we will begin to starve. Thats the potential with your suggestion.
@David O Sullivan: close data centers down?. Gone are Netflix and all movie streaming, gone is all social media including newspapers, gone is all the capacity for pharma companies to use super computers to do research on the virus , gone are all the capacity to track all paperwork in hospitals, gone is the ability for people to work from home, gone is several government departments, gone are 50% of telephone calls which are up based, like it or not data centers are just as important now as power. If you don’t have a working data center, everything shuts down. Oh yeah, gone is the journal. To be honest one of the best places for social distancing is a data center. Oh yeah, also gone will be a few 100 thousand more jobs that rely on data centers to enable them to work from home.
@Yorkie1892: it’s a balance between risk to economy and public health. You suspend operations where people herd close together and cannot work from home.
@Yorkie1892: some tasks in health care such as lifting also require two people – and the can apply to home carers too and people looking after those in homecare and nursing homes…. there are lots of jobs where people are in close contact – imagine flying an aircraft full of medical supplies from China… two pilots in the cockpit for 12 hours or more… – on a building site or elsewhere just use the necessary precautions or just stay at home if that cannot be achieved. An employer is required to have a safety statement and plan – what does the small print say?
Factories make medical supplies, others make food supplies, others do software that brings income into the country, some workers keep the internet going , the TV and radio stations, the electrical supply… from my reading of the above, any business that cannot maintain social distancing is to close and that should mean building sites as well, but then I wonder how many are employed by the builder or on sub-contract work or even self employed….
All that said I am sure there are some unreasonable employers – and these should be called out instead of vague innuendos here about what others should be doing – it is up to the people themselves to act.
@David O Sullivan: Facebook Data center in Clonee is shutting down, all site lads finished up yesterday and all office staff have to gone by Wednesday close of business
@Niall Ó Cofaigh: I appreciate the feedback from you and everyone. Very helpful. Sorry if I annoyed anyone. Just want everyone to be safe and healthy. Stay safe everyone
@Newnob: wow! How many American multinationals produce medicine? Ah yeah let’s close em all, great plan! Close all factories= no food, no medicine, no medical devices, no machinery might as well close all supermarkets and farms then too because ya know what’s the point then! There won’t be anything to put on the shelves anyway, or factories to process the produce. I see you have really put alot of thought into your positive comment.
@John fitzpatrick: Doesn’t everything work right now???……when the new data centres aren’t finished?? So the new ones are not essential and Netflix, the journal, will all work without them.
@Shane Barry: that’s just nonsense. Factories staying open keep the economy going. The same for as many businesses as possible, while keeping safe distancing where possible. Get off this old as the hills ranting about big corporations pulling the shots rubbish. Change the record.
Its clear that public health is priority number 1 with the extent of the measures being taken.
Everyone needs to works where they can, and those who can’t are being looked after very well.
@David O Sullivan: Close data centres? Basically all software is cloud based. Cloud based working and cloud based software are critical for social distancing.
What exactly would you prefer, each company has its own server room like its 2010 again?
Probably even the HSE website is hosted in a data centre. Along with 99% of the entire internet
@Shane Barry: some of these multinationals are manufacturing essential medicines for extremely sick people. Ceasing manufacturing in this case will cause many deaths. This is fact
@Yorkie1892: 200000 + 50000 more indirect people in construction the country cannot stop everything and it cannot pay everyone. It is not like they can just get on a plane and leave. Total collapse of the Irish State would be the result if it went on too long.
@Daimhín De Naois: and many don’t. They should have thought about that. Be specific. Factories that produce food, pharma etc have to continue for the good of the country. Other large multinationals do not need to continue. Apple in Cork have closed. Other large orthopaedic/electronic multinationals with 1000 + employees do not need to open. How many countries are still doing elective surgery’s at the mo?
@Cormac: that’s ridiculous. And from I heard from some people I know in public sector jobs they havnt even been given alternative arrangement options while schools and crèches are closed. Yea your employers have closed the schools but sorry you can’t get time off to mind then unless you want to take unpaid leave. Joke
@teddyzigzagbigbag: They should? Who are ‘they’? And why would i be specific?? i argued against a blanket ban. You seem to know whats going on, i guess you’ll make sure and let ‘them’ know they don’t need to be open and let the government know which factories you’re closing. And then, when you’ve got that sorted, maybe you would open your internet and ask google the question you’re wanting the answer for about surgeries.
@Johnny 5: have been to 2 supermarkets in the past week and neither were ‘packed’ most people seem to be doing one big shop a week, limiting the amount out and keeping distance between each other…. prefer that then a tiny local offo….
@Wreck Tangle: I guess if they find these new measures aren’t having the desired effect, they will look at that. The UK introduced fines of £30, hardly punitive, and really just tokenism, so why bother?
@Rochey77: I think that part of the idea is that a 500 euro fine would be beyond some peoples mean whereas a 50 euro fine or better still deduction from income would be payable by most unless you rack up lots of fines… last thing we need is emergency money being used to pay for breaching the rules – so redicing or stopping emergency payments could be a threat too.
Well the banks may just get with the programme because, either way, they aren’t going to receive monthly repayments for very many people for some months, so they can call it restructured loans or bad debt provisions, but I know which looks better on a balance sheet.
@pat murphy: there’s a certain amount of ppl “getting off” on the word lockdown. Leo is taking the orders from Dr. Holohan. If you ever listen to him, he is always saying that if you enact measures too harsh too early, you can incite revolt and disobedience. For the health service to cope, we need 90% of the population to be good. Also, you can only keep up a full lockdown for so many weeks. Don’t play the ace card until you have to. We are right at the bottom of the curve, the surge hasn’t even woken up yet.
UK is on “lockdown” and yet the tubes in London are still packed. I know which regime I would rather live under.
@pat murphy: you’ve clearly decided to have a dig without actually listening to or reading about these new restrictions. They are, in fact, more restrictive in many ways than those announced by Boris Johnson yesterday. But don’t let the facts get in the way of a cool story bro.
@Sid: again you didn’t listen to anything that was said. Employers in these sectors will be advised of measures to limit the risks to their staff while remaining in operation. How do you think you’re going to have food on the shelves in supermarkets if the food and other essential manufacturers don’t remain open?? Ffs.
@Eoin Hodgins: you can stay outside all day if you want where some countries like mine you need a paper, stay within 1 km of your home and good reason to be out otherwise you get fined.
@pat murphy: lockdown does not work. It delays the peak. Best plan is to slow it down so the sick can be treated. Britain did a lock down as they messed up weeks ago.
@Kevin McNally: I don’t know to be honest but does it seem right that I can go shopping in Dundrum center which it said on the radio today was packed yesterday .
@Andy Harding: you do realise that the people who are making these decisions are more intelligent than you and me for that matter in terms of public health, prevention of spread, healthcare etc. This isn’t a dig at you but there’s a reason they’re the ones that make decisions and we’re the ones in the journal’s comment section.
@Andy Harding: well he said he hopes that people would abide by these changes “without the need for authoritarian enforcement or draconian measures” or something along those lines…so stay away from Dundrum or any other hotspot unless absolutely necessary. If people don’t, then action might be needed….sounds reasonable to me!
@Andy Harding: Not enough? Varadkar is shutting down 90% of the Country. All that will be functioning is essential services so you can eat. What else could he possibly do at this point?
@Michael Patrick Newell: that’s not true. If construction sites can’t maintain social distance then they will be closed. Did you even listen to what he said?
@MickN: rubbish leftie rant. 1000’s will die and the country will cease up if factories and construction stops. We need food medicine and products to survive.
A few weeks of closed construction equals a lot of misery and a few thousand les houses built. You’ll the no doubt be on moaning about the lack of housing and homelessness.
@Nioe: Yea obviously not a construction worker. No hand santizer stations, no social distancing. Then go home to families already in lockdown. Fu** you.
@The Irish Bull: get on to your employer or union so. Employers have responsibility to make sure you are working safely with physical distancing. Not much use giving out on here.
@John Deed: there is the issue of people hoping into Newry or Derry or Enniskillen or Dundalk or Clones or where ever for the daily shop – or even when the local shop is across the border – in either direction – it is an interesting point that if you cross the border you are supposed to self isolate for 14 days (having come from abroad) and visa versa.
We would be better with an all Ireland policy as the border is only a pencil line on a map and a COVID-19 border in the Irish Sea would serve everyone better I suspect
@Niall Ó Cofaigh:
Absolutely correct Niall. However, two weeks ago a deputation from the Republic travelled North to seek an Ireland policy with the Stormont Government but were rebuffed in favour of the Her Immunity policy of Her Majesty’s Government.
Opportunity lost by Stormont to make a difference to the health and safety of the whole island.
@sjr: Are you having a laugh there is huge sites with 100′s if not 1000′s on them do you know how many lives could be lost from them staying all together…Get real
@sjr: Construction dried up during the previous crash due to over supply and inflated prices in the housing markets as well as the banks throwing money at people that couldn’t possibly afford to repay it. The construction projects will still be there after all this has died down (pardon the pun) and so will demand for housing. Social distancing is impossible on large construction sites. A lot of guys working together in close proximity. It’s a recipe for disaster.
@Ricky Spanish: The point I was trying to make is that no site can maintain social distancing and so no concrete decision has been made. I should have explained myself better. Thanks for pointing that out to me!
@Jake Kelly: they’re never happy, they have nothing better to do with their lives than be on here day in, day out moaning and being as negative and unhinged as possible. So thankful I don’t have to encounter this in my day to day life. Its seriously draining.
At 59 I’ll definitely go back,
Leo said Defence force personnel may return at the rank they retired at.I would do anything to help my country and people.
@Rúraíocht: Thank you .. I WILL do anything to help. There are a lot of unarmed missions carried out by the Italian military at the moment God help them..and I’m willing to do the same
@The Risen: The Risen is already gone and onto the next article. But I’ll say this anyway – there is no lock down in the UK. What they are doing and what we are doing are almost the exact same. But “Lockdown” is the new Shinner soundbyte so they’ll shout it from the hills. Dopes.
Great news on the increase in payments, though!
@The Risen: Jump aboard and join the winning team . If you think you can do better please step forward, if not please shut up and take your seat at the back of the class.
@The Risen: Oh you mean the same UK lockdown that has hundreds of people still crammed on to the tubes everyday? the Mayor of London refuses to run more services for transport. AND i seriously doubt that the hundreds of people are going to essential services or supply runs.
@Self Employed Anarchist: Did you listen to the statement? Construction sites that can’t satisfy social distancing requirements will be closed! You’re fake outrage must be affecting your hearing.
@Self Employed Anarchist: If non-public facing work can continue safely with PPE measures against the virus in place, it should do so. The more people we can keep on earning and reduce the burden on the economic re-boot when it comes, the better. Also all these many public facilities will need works and maintenence to assist the fight against the virus.
@Diarmuid: The government are doing a fantastic job. Didn’t you hear the chief medical officer saying that contacts of affected persons are down from an average of 20 last week to an average of 5 now?
They are ahead of the curve and their actions are working.
@Diarmuid: I think they are doing a very good job in the circumstances. Thanks be to God we don’t have a bunch of inexperienced marxists running around like a headless chicken with a loaded armalite running things.
@Mary Ward: you and I and everyone who survives will end up paying for this “fantastic” package that you elude to. but the pain will be less because people will not be is as bad a state as if that “fantastic” package had not arrived… I assume we are talking of the same thing
@Mary Ward: …. What do you mean ‘what about the virus’? You want Leo to cure it himself do you? Clown. Leadership here means showing us how to beat it, listening to scientific advice from experts, and enacting that advice as law.
Not becoming immunologists overnight, as you seem to think.
@Diarmuid: We have had great leadership. This is a global pandemic, the aim is to mitigate. Look at the complete botch the UK has made of it, or the US or some of our neighbors in Europe. In many of these places tests are ONLY available to several ill hospitalized patients, there is no community testing at all. Deaths are spiraling in the UK, the NHS will not be able to cope. What country has handled it better than the Irish Gov? aside from some countries in Asia who had a head start due to their previous encounters with SARS.
The government have handled this pandemic quite well so far, and made some very important decisions. A lot of the average joe, have not. I’d love people to get a chance to look inside an icu. You would quickly change your habits.
Yet allows construction sites with over 1000 people plow on. These sites are impossible to run if social distancing is employed as it should. Thanks Leo and FG. Big business and big money is far more important than lives. All the politicians bitching and moaning about people being on beaches yet are perfectly ok for construction sites to work away.
@Paul O Mahony: You obviously did not listen to what he said about construction sites. Maybe you should check your facts before posting your outrage online for all to see.
The elderly should be cocooned. I.live with an elderly uncle. Who refuses ti change his routine. So while I’m working from home to protect him. He goes out in the thick of it.
Nowhere near enough….. Half measures again. No mention of any deterents or any penalties. Again just depending on the goodwill of the people. Won’t be enough unfortunately.
@Sid: No. As was very clearly stated, health and safety and government agencies will work with the factories to implement and facilitate social distancing. If factories close, hospitals don’t get medication or supplies, shops don’t get food and people die. Can you provide a different solution?
@ernest simon: Fake news on the French limitations – have you a source for this?
I did find this:-
The only people permitted to be outdoors are those who can’t work from home, who are going to help sick relatives, buy essential supplies from approved shops or attend a medical appointment, or who are taking brief exercise alone
France is in lockdown and citizens are not permitted to step outside their front door without completing the form. They must state their justification for being outdoors and if they don’t have a good reason they are liable to be fined $146.
- and neither specify distance – but you have to have a form and declaration to go to the shops or be outdoors for another reason – if the shop is 10 km away that does not seem to be a problem – what could be a problem here in Ireland is the lack of computer access to the internet and a printer…
@Bobby wilson: 4 people have died. Do you know how many people died of viral pneumonia over the last winter in Ireland that you didn’t give a toss about?
@Bobby wilson: Your Stormont Government wouldn’t agree to a full all Ireland arrangement two weeks ago. Instead Arlene and Co wanted to take the British line?
What is the Government of the Republic supposed to do?
@Pete Gilmartin: yes agreed. However all elective surgery’s almost worldwide have been cancelled so do medical devices (orthopaedic manufacturing) come into that category? I don’t think so, yet we have been told we are essential. And that’s final!
He says construction sites remain open as multi nationals are building factories.so let’s put good old tradesmen out to possibly get infected and bring it home
Need also keep children that are off school off the streets. Seen groups of children together not keeping safe distance. Parents need ensure their children understand the dangers.
How is going to mass with social distancing any different to organised social events with social distancing? Whats good for the goose is good for the gander. Prohibit them all. Praying and the peace of mind going to church brings wont stop the virus spreading, especially in a church where a majority will likely be in the older, higher risk category.
@Chris Linehan: As far as I know Mass services have been cancelled but churches can stay open during the day for people to go in and pray as long as social distancing is observed.
@Sarah Green: I dont imagine they’ll be cleaning/disinfecting the pews after every visitor. Its a high risk move with a high risk group of society. If services have been cancelled, then close up and let people pray at home. As someone earlier mentioned about their older uncle, they wont change their routines unless ‘forced’ to. My 90 year old granny goes to mass everyday, but not since this broke out, but there’ll be plenty who would still see going to mass as essential. Some people need to be protected, even from themselves.
@mary finn: You dont NEED to have a funeral. You need to minimise the risk of this thing spreading before more people die unnecessarily. I dont mean to be harsh but, priorities need to be fixed and a funeral and respectful mourning can be done at another time.
@Chris Linehan: with no disrespect and I have no religion God has never sent a virus to cull the world according to my partner I drive my partner to Mass every week and wait for her. Just look after yourself and all around you you’ll be ok
@Bernard Doyle: Not my scene either but agreed, he’s never sent a virus and never cured one either. But theres no difference between limited numbers of people gathering in a church compared to limited people going for a pint alone in a quiet country pub. People unavoidably have to come in relatively close contact: for food, Doctor etc. People going in and out of a church througout the day, maybe successfully avoiding eachother but still sitting in the same seats, grabbing the same door handles is a situation that can be completely avoided by closing up shop. They should be making the hard decisions now across the board to get a hold of things with short term inconvenience instead of longer term more serious consequences.
So the government has money to increase Covid19 related payments from €203 to €350 but not the money to reverse the cuts to disability allowance and disability related payments implemented by Fine Fail
@Grainne Gillespie: are you actually complaining – the government have to priortise, there is not unlimited money and we will be paying for this for years to come – I am not unsympathetic to your cause – but now is not the time to complain if the government is spending extra money on this “rainy day” – money that will not continue to be spent into the future and money that will need to be replaced by extra taxes or other budgetary means one day.
My daughter works in a call center in cork city ,she has been self isolating for the last week and had a covid-19 test tomorrow,she in a office with 8 other people and has just received a email from the company stating that they are following government guidelines and will continue working,that’s how big business treat minimum wage workers
@Kevin Cahill: I hope her test comes back negative – but I cannot comment on the call center situation. Some call centers such as the emergency services and the HSE ones will need to remain open as would the GAS and ESB and those supporting essential services. Maybe every second desk needs to be free. I have no idea and it is unfair to comment on individual cases where we lack the information to form a proper opinion – but I wish her be safe and well.
@Vintage Summers: pet shops are non essential , just my opinion as pet food can be bought in supermarkets. I’m a veterinary nurse , did you mean Veterinary surgeries?
@Siobhan O Donovan: Pet shops ARE essential, not everyone keeps cats or dogs.
My leopard gecko eats live crickets, his food can’t be found in a supermarket, also our cat is on a special diet, her food can only be found in our local petshop
I also keep snakes and whilst I bulk order from the North every couple of months, many people buy their snakes food each time they feed their snakes, supermarkets don’t do frozen rats and mice
@Grainne Gillespie: Yuk, yuk YUK. what are you keeping exotic pets or reptiles for? those things should not be allowed in this country, they are essential wild animals. And i think ALL pet shops should be banned. Pets shouldnt be bought, they should be adapted. Plenty of free animals in need of a home.
Taoiseach please respect our health workers. Order the closure of Heatons immediately. I’m in the emergency services and after a 12 hour shift I have to mind young kids straight away as my partner works in heatons and is required in as it is seemingly ‘an essential public service’. I am shattered as getting 2/3 hours sleep per day before starting next shift. As all family friends self isolating in accordance with government recommendations, no help with child care. Our health workers are heroes so please don’t think I am complaining for one moment. I will do whatever it takes to keep my family and streets safe but please respect the frontline and close the heatons store countrywide. They are taking advantage of the situation and undermining all the work being done by our health workers.
While I complete agree with the action taken by the Taoiseach, it is very concerning how quickly our civil liberties can be stripped from us. Albeit necessary, the power given to the gardai in this crisis seems to be very ambiguous.There seems to be a huge legal blur surrounding all of these measures and you’d wonder if the gardai actually have the legal authority to carry out the new rules put in place by the government.
@Wreck Tangle: I understand that the disease can’t be controlled and is killing thousands, but the government has now over ruled the people’s right to assemble under the constitution without a referendum.
@Eugene H. Krabbs: This isn’t about Civil Liberty, it’s about saving lives and if that means our elected Government deems it necessary under the advice of our CMO then I think their interests are less about control and more about saving the lives of people who (some of which) don’t have the cop on to do one thing, stay at home (unless working, exercising or shopping)
Am just wondering how we do not hear anything from those big empty convents with all those single rooms? Wouldn’t they be wonderful as “isolation “ areas .. badly need extra rooms for very sick & vulnerable people.. anyone any thoughts on this?
What’s the story with off licenses? Are they deemed a non essential retail outfit? Surely closure would put a further unnecessary strain on supermarkets.
@Grainne Gillespie: It’s a fair question, Grainne. From my own point of view it’s probably because as you earn more, your standard of living goes up.
For example, if I’m earning 70K a year then I probably have a decent mortgage or can afford to pay a little more in rent for a nicer place. I may have decided to have children based on the fact that I could afford to support and care for them. I may have a car loan or a housing loan.
So will need more to keep you in situ until this all blows over.
This is just a guess by the way, and I don’t mean for it to sound like justification either. I’d imagine someone on disability might find this hard to take alright.
They decided to cure it like a cancer. Chemotheraphy. Injecting poison into blood stream and hoping cancer will die before the human body will. The same way these incredible restrictions work. It’s not the virus that is killing, it’s the solution – or at least we are coming to this point. Closing so many businesses is killing this economy, mostly succesfull due to overseas business to make it worse…
The building trade is generally known for having strict health and safety guidelines so employees on site may already be wearing masks etc. I don’t know for certain. Any construction workers here?
Electronics, computer and phone shops are essential retail and should stay open, that’s with social distancing measure. Having good communications is critical at the moment. Also what if someone’s fridge needed to be replaced? Especially for the elderly who are not good with online shopping.
Why close Golf Clubs… There is no meetings of over 4 people(3 in my club right now), it is outdoors… Social distancing is observed and is just married into the etiquette of the game which has been that way anyways…
My club turned the holes upside down, so the ball just hits a cylinder…
I say this because building sites with Electricians, Plumbers & Carpenters is internal and can be pretty unstructured
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Cookies help provide our news service while also enabling the advertising needed to fund this work.
We categorise cookies as Necessary, Performance (used to analyse the site performance) and Targeting (used to target advertising which helps us keep this service free).
We and our 140 partners store and access personal data, like browsing data or unique identifiers, on your device. Selecting Accept All enables tracking technologies to support the purposes shown under we and our partners process data to provide. If trackers are disabled, some content and ads you see may not be as relevant to you. You can resurface this menu to change your choices or withdraw consent at any time by clicking the Cookie Preferences link on the bottom of the webpage .Your choices will have effect within our Website. For more details, refer to our Privacy Policy.
We and our vendors process data for the following purposes:
Use precise geolocation data. Actively scan device characteristics for identification. Store and/or access information on a device. Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development.
Cookies Preference Centre
We process your data to deliver content or advertisements and measure the delivery of such content or advertisements to extract insights about our website. We share this information with our partners on the basis of consent. You may exercise your right to consent, based on a specific purpose below or at a partner level in the link under each purpose. Some vendors may process your data based on their legitimate interests, which does not require your consent. You cannot object to tracking technologies placed to ensure security, prevent fraud, fix errors, or deliver and present advertising and content, and precise geolocation data and active scanning of device characteristics for identification may be used to support this purpose. This exception does not apply to targeted advertising. These choices will be signaled to our vendors participating in the Transparency and Consent Framework.
Manage Consent Preferences
Necessary Cookies
Always Active
These cookies are necessary for the website to function and cannot be switched off in our systems. They are usually only set in response to actions made by you which amount to a request for services, such as setting your privacy preferences, logging in or filling in forms. You can set your browser to block or alert you about these cookies, but some parts of the site will not then work.
Targeting Cookies
These cookies may be set through our site by our advertising partners. They may be used by those companies to build a profile of your interests and show you relevant adverts on other sites. They do not store directly personal information, but are based on uniquely identifying your browser and internet device. If you do not allow these cookies, you will experience less targeted advertising.
Functional Cookies
These cookies enable the website to provide enhanced functionality and personalisation. They may be set by us or by third party providers whose services we have added to our pages. If you do not allow these cookies then these services may not function properly.
Performance Cookies
These cookies allow us to count visits and traffic sources so we can measure and improve the performance of our site. They help us to know which pages are the most and least popular and see how visitors move around the site. All information these cookies collect is aggregated and therefore anonymous. If you do not allow these cookies we will not be able to monitor our performance.
Store and/or access information on a device 96 partners can use this purpose
Cookies, device or similar online identifiers (e.g. login-based identifiers, randomly assigned identifiers, network based identifiers) together with other information (e.g. browser type and information, language, screen size, supported technologies etc.) can be stored or read on your device to recognise it each time it connects to an app or to a website, for one or several of the purposes presented here.
Personalised advertising and content, advertising and content measurement, audience research and services development 125 partners can use this purpose
Use limited data to select advertising 95 partners can use this purpose
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times an ad is presented to you).
Create profiles for personalised advertising 71 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service (such as forms you submit, content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (for example, information from your previous activity on this service and other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (that might include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present advertising that appears more relevant based on your possible interests by this and other entities.
Use profiles to select personalised advertising 70 partners can use this purpose
Advertising presented to you on this service can be based on your advertising profiles, which can reflect your activity on this service or other websites or apps (like the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects.
Create profiles to personalise content 35 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service (for instance, forms you submit, non-advertising content you look at) can be stored and combined with other information about you (such as your previous activity on this service or other websites or apps) or similar users. This is then used to build or improve a profile about you (which might for example include possible interests and personal aspects). Your profile can be used (also later) to present content that appears more relevant based on your possible interests, such as by adapting the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find content that matches your interests.
Use profiles to select personalised content 31 partners can use this purpose
Content presented to you on this service can be based on your content personalisation profiles, which can reflect your activity on this or other services (for instance, the forms you submit, content you look at), possible interests and personal aspects. This can for example be used to adapt the order in which content is shown to you, so that it is even easier for you to find (non-advertising) content that matches your interests.
Measure advertising performance 117 partners can use this purpose
Information regarding which advertising is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine how well an advert has worked for you or other users and whether the goals of the advertising were reached. For instance, whether you saw an ad, whether you clicked on it, whether it led you to buy a product or visit a website, etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of advertising campaigns.
Measure content performance 58 partners can use this purpose
Information regarding which content is presented to you and how you interact with it can be used to determine whether the (non-advertising) content e.g. reached its intended audience and matched your interests. For instance, whether you read an article, watch a video, listen to a podcast or look at a product description, how long you spent on this service and the web pages you visit etc. This is very helpful to understand the relevance of (non-advertising) content that is shown to you.
Understand audiences through statistics or combinations of data from different sources 69 partners can use this purpose
Reports can be generated based on the combination of data sets (like user profiles, statistics, market research, analytics data) regarding your interactions and those of other users with advertising or (non-advertising) content to identify common characteristics (for instance, to determine which target audiences are more receptive to an ad campaign or to certain contents).
Develop and improve services 76 partners can use this purpose
Information about your activity on this service, such as your interaction with ads or content, can be very helpful to improve products and services and to build new products and services based on user interactions, the type of audience, etc. This specific purpose does not include the development or improvement of user profiles and identifiers.
Use limited data to select content 36 partners can use this purpose
Content presented to you on this service can be based on limited data, such as the website or app you are using, your non-precise location, your device type, or which content you are (or have been) interacting with (for example, to limit the number of times a video or an article is presented to you).
Use precise geolocation data 40 partners can use this special feature
With your acceptance, your precise location (within a radius of less than 500 metres) may be used in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Actively scan device characteristics for identification 23 partners can use this special feature
With your acceptance, certain characteristics specific to your device might be requested and used to distinguish it from other devices (such as the installed fonts or plugins, the resolution of your screen) in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Ensure security, prevent and detect fraud, and fix errors 78 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
Your data can be used to monitor for and prevent unusual and possibly fraudulent activity (for example, regarding advertising, ad clicks by bots), and ensure systems and processes work properly and securely. It can also be used to correct any problems you, the publisher or the advertiser may encounter in the delivery of content and ads and in your interaction with them.
Deliver and present advertising and content 88 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
Certain information (like an IP address or device capabilities) is used to ensure the technical compatibility of the content or advertising, and to facilitate the transmission of the content or ad to your device.
Match and combine data from other data sources 65 partners can use this feature
Always Active
Information about your activity on this service may be matched and combined with other information relating to you and originating from various sources (for instance your activity on a separate online service, your use of a loyalty card in-store, or your answers to a survey), in support of the purposes explained in this notice.
Link different devices 46 partners can use this feature
Always Active
In support of the purposes explained in this notice, your device might be considered as likely linked to other devices that belong to you or your household (for instance because you are logged in to the same service on both your phone and your computer, or because you may use the same Internet connection on both devices).
Identify devices based on information transmitted automatically 75 partners can use this feature
Always Active
Your device might be distinguished from other devices based on information it automatically sends when accessing the Internet (for instance, the IP address of your Internet connection or the type of browser you are using) in support of the purposes exposed in this notice.
Save and communicate privacy choices 55 partners can use this special purpose
Always Active
The choices you make regarding the purposes and entities listed in this notice are saved and made available to those entities in the form of digital signals (such as a string of characters). This is necessary in order to enable both this service and those entities to respect such choices.
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