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In Scotland cases have doubled every week since restrictions eased. Alamy Stock Photo

UK's surging Covid rates provided 'sobering' lesson as Cabinet agreed 'new phase'

The government was quick to caution people that 22 October should not be seen as Ireland’s ‘Freedom Day’.

AS CABINET AGREED this week to a ‘new phase’ in Ireland’s pandemic experience, ministers were closely watching the rising cases in countries that have moved more quickly to ease Covid restrictions.

The government yesterday announced four key dates for the lifting of restrictions, with a plan to lift almost all measures on 22 October. 

This will mean the return of large live indoor events and a phased move back into offices – not to mention the return of music and dancing at weddings.

While the tone from government was a hopeful one, the announcement also came with a warning that 22 October should not be seen as Ireland’s ‘Freedom Day’ and that people should expect to continue living with Covid for some time. 

Through the month of September and most of October participation in many indoor activities or attendance at indoor live events will be restricted only to those with immunity through vaccination or recent recovery from Covid.

Speaking to Newstalk’s The Hard Shoulder after the announcement last night Minister for Health Stephen Donnelly explained why the government decided to take this phased approach. 

“What I’m particularly concerned about is the profile of disease in Northern Ireland and Wales and Scotland,” he said.

“So what they did over the last number of months was they more or less opened fully for vaccinated and unvaccinated [people] and what we’re seeing right now is a very, very sobering rise in cases.

Scotland for example, are more than two and a half times our case rate. Northern Ireland is about twice our case rate. Their hospitalisation figures are higher and causing problems, so therefore it’s about a phased reopening.

Coronavirus levels have been rising across the UK since restrictions were eased. 

The latest snapshot survey of infections by the Office for National Statistics shows around one in 70 people in England had Covid-19 in that week up to 20 August, up from one in 80 the previous week.

In Wales, the figure was around one in 120 people – the highest level there since the week to February 12 – while in Scotland it was around one in 140, which was a rise from one in 200 in the previous week.

One in 40 people in Northern Ireland had Covid-19 in the week to 20 August.

Yesterday health officials in Northern Ireland reported 1,313 positive cases and six deaths of patients with Covid in the previous 24 hours. In the Republic, the Department of Health reported 1,382 new Covid cases. 

There is concern in Northern Ireland about the number of younger people being admitted to hospital with Covid-19. 

Assistant Medical Director for South West Acute and Omagh Hospitals, Professor Ronan O’Hare told the Belfast Telegraph this week that there has been a noticeable change in the age of patients at his hospital in Fermanagh.

He said there had also been several admissions to intensive care of women who are pregnant or who have had their babies. 

“There is a concerning number of pregnant women requiring support not just in our hospital but throughout Northern Ireland,” he said.

“There has been a noticeable change in the age profile of patients admitted to hospital, with increases in the 16 to 46 age group and some displaying underlining health conditions.”

Some Covid restrictions remain in place in Northern Ireland, with no more than 10 people from three households allowed to meet indoors at a private home and hospitality businesses required to operate table service only for drinks and to record customer details for contact tracing.

A number of hospitals in the North have reported pressure on Emergency Departments, with some trusts warning of long waiting times and asking people to consider other options if their condition was not urgent.

In Scotland, cases have doubled every week since restrictions eased. At the weekend case numbers hit a record high.

Yesterday health officials in Scotland reported 6,029 new cases of Covid and seven new deaths. There were 54 people in intensive care with the disease and 585 in hospital with recently confirmed Covid. 

In the week ending 22 August, 41 deaths were registered where Covid-19 was on the death certificate.

Scottish Government Scottish Government

Fewer than 1,500 cases were recorded in Scotland on 9 August, the day most Covid restrictions were lifted. This meant physical distancing rules and the limits on gatherings were removed, and all venues were allowed to reopen.

On Sunday, 19 days after the restrictions were lifted, there were 7,113 positive cases recorded. According to the latest WHO figures, Lanarkshire and Glasgow’s health board areas had Europe’s highest case rates.

Public health officials in Scotland are worried that case numbers are still rising so quickly, despite the fact that over 82% of over 18s in the country are fully vaccinated and more than 91% are partially vaccinated.

They have warned that some easing may have to be reversed to slow the spread of infection and take the pressure off health services. 

The return of schools in Scotland earlier in the month was believed to have contributed to an increase in infections and as pupils across the rest of the UK return to classrooms  a further rise in case numbers is expected. 

Members of the Scientific Pandemic Influenza Group on Modelling, Operational sub-group (SPI-M-O) advised the government to plan for the likelihood of high prevalence of the virus in schools by the end of September.

 

Ireland’s ‘new phase’

From today, Ireland will begin what the Taoiseach described as a “new phase” in the pandemic.

Public transport will return to full capacity today, though it will still be mandatory to wear a face covering. 

The next key date will be 6 September, when organised indoor events will be permitted to take place with capacity limits of 60% and only for those with Covid immunity. From this date outdoor events will be able to take place at 75% capacity where all patrons have immunity.

The capacity limit will be 50% for outdoor events at which patrons have mixed immunity.

Group activities such as sports and dance classes will return from 20 September with capacity limits of 100 people where everyone in attendance has immunity. From this date a return to workplaces will also commence on a phased and staggered attendance basis.

The final date in this latest roadmap, 22 October, will see all remaining restrictions lifted for hospitality, events, gatherings at private homes and high risk activities such as nightclubs. 

However the requirement to wear masks in certain settings such as public transport, indoor retail and hospitals will remain in place. The Taoiseach last night said he could see masks becoming part of Irish winters in the future to combat flu and other viruses. 

And he said the lifting of restrictions over the next two months does not mean the pandemic is over or that measures will not have to be reintroduced. 

In his address he said the government will be quick to respond if a “dangerous variant emerges” or if hospitals come under unsustainable pressure again. 

“We are very unlikely to ever be able to be rid of the virus completely,” he said.

- With reporting from Press Association.

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    Mute RogerRamjet
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    Jul 10th 2021, 8:33 AM

    Affordable housing!?! How about helping those who can work and do work to buy a house at an affordable level first instead of perpetuating the entitlement attitude of many to a house without doing any of the work or contributing to greater society.

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    Mute David Corrigan
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    Jul 10th 2021, 9:13 AM

    @RogerRamjet: FG/FF’s efforts at fixing the housing crisis has ended up as the unmitigated mess as outlined in the report above. Millions wasted on creating and maintaining the mess also.

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    Mute Charliegrl80
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    Jul 10th 2021, 9:56 AM

    @RogerRamjet: We have a housing crisis in this Country and blaming people on lower income isn’t the answer! In the Tipperary area where I live if you earn less than €25,000 as a couple you are eligible to apply for social housing, in the cities the limit is a little more it would be between €31,000 to €35,000 to apply for social housing if you are in one of the lower paid Jobs or on a social welfare payment you would qualify, NO BANK is going to give you a mortgage on that income. However, at the moment there is NO SOCIAL HOUSING being built and the local government through the Government is housing many of these families in private rental units which in turn leaves no rental units for others to rent and this keeps the cost of rental units in the state extremely high. If someone can get a mortgage and we had affordable housing in the Country fair play to them but please don’t blame people on a lower income from stopping anyone from buying a house and look at where the actual problem is its our government allowing investment funds to bulk buy all of housing so your affordable house is now in their hands and they will not sell but rent them back to you and at crazy prices. I am a full time family carer working 24/7 contributing to the state by and on a so called welfare payment of €219 per week who is going to give me a mortgage? there’s only a tiny fraction of people on welfare that don’t contribute for what ever reason. I can assure you the welfare system just don’t hand you a payment without dragging you through the coals first so if you do get a payment that would mean you qualified for it!

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    Mute M Bowe
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    Jul 10th 2021, 10:04 AM

    @RogerRamjet: yeah let’s all tackle those in need of housing rather than tackle the cause of the problems in housing. FFG policy and support of vulture/ cuckoo funds and developers over citizens needs.

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    Mute RogerRamjet
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    Jul 10th 2021, 10:22 AM

    @Charliegrl80: where am I blaming people on lower income? You can work and do, I’ve no issue with you getting access to housing. It’s the people who get handouts including housing and have no intention of doing an honest days work (but are well capable of doing it) or contributing to society I’m talking about.

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    Mute Charliegrl80
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    Jul 10th 2021, 4:43 PM

    @RogerRamjet: There are many different kinds of welfare allowance in Ireland from the state pension down to jobseekers including the many people that lost jobs and some lost their homes during the down turn that are now aged out of employment and through no fault of their own have to stay on one of the most degrading payments in the state “jobseekers” if they take two weeks work they are cut off that payment and will go through hell to get it back. Yes there are a few people that don’t work but it’s a very tiny fraction of people claiming welfare and these people should be helped back on their feet by education and somebody actually giving a dam you see many of these people outside the court houses of this country every week for mainly drug related issues. Until this country tackles our massive drug problem these issues will never go away as they go hand in hand. Please do not blame people down on their luck because of circumstances in their lives and put the blame where is needs to be and that’s the housing crisis created by greed and the policies of the current and past governments as they are continually selling the family silver!

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    Mute Bleurgh
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    Jul 10th 2021, 8:02 AM

    Can someone give the exact number of houses that were bought under REITS/bulk buy/cookoo funds in last few years? As in a percentage of houses bought???

    44
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    Mute Daniel Murray
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    Jul 10th 2021, 9:29 AM

    Can someone far more informed than me on this matter explain why we can’t temporarily ban bulk buying of houses entirely during a housing crisis? Make it mandatory that you can only own one or max two houses? Maybe that violates EU or WTO agreements? The government seems perfectly content to get fined for breaking emissions targets by completely failing on climate change and isn’t out VRT straight up illegal?

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    Mute Ilarion Cibu
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    Jul 10th 2021, 9:37 AM

    @Daniel Murray: government is being fined by EU for breaking violations with our huge money making scam – VRT.
    But they make far,far more from VRT than the EU fines us.

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    Mute Gerard Heery
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    Jul 10th 2021, 9:31 AM

    Greed and high cost of living in this small little sod run by self serving goombeen men in suits ,remove these three ! problem solved and therefore it will never be solved it’s our culture now

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    Mute Kenneth O' Connor
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    Jul 10th 2021, 8:11 AM

    Excellent piece Conal!!!

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    Mute Goran Josifov
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    Jul 10th 2021, 10:59 AM

    So many different institutions and bodies to deal with the housing crisis, but house prices continue to rise and are getting more and more unaffordable. One could come to the conclusion that the goal of all those bodies (quite a few created in the last several years) isn’t to tackle housing crisis or make houses more affordable, despite what is publicly declared, but quite the opposite. As if they’re there to put the veil over people’s eyes that they’re doing something, but in reality the measures they’re bringing forth do not give the desired outcome. So something is more than just rotten in the spiderly interconnected housing industry (government, city councils, developers, different type of funds mentioned in the article, emergency accommodation providers, homelessness etc).

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    Mute Den Sullivan
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    Jul 10th 2021, 12:38 PM

    If you put government in charge of the supply your bread you will soon want for bread. It’s nature of the beast

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    Mute Neuville-Kepler62F
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    Jul 10th 2021, 11:45 PM

    Fianna Fail: 4.9% of the electorate want them in power but they are still “in power”!

    The only way to put citizens in power and in control of Housing for the benefit of citizens and not “others” is a Referendum.

    https://www.change.org/p/irish-referendum-on-family-home-special-status

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    Mute Oisin O'Connell
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    Jul 17th 2021, 2:51 PM

    The article misses the Bank influence and mortgages in low supply and demand; if supply of housing too low prices of property are set by the Banks and both the duration of mortgages and max amount they will pay out; USA even worse re duration eg 90 yr second geberation mortgages; the benefit in USA is bank takes responsibility so if you decide you cannot pay your mortgage you can return the house keys to banks and its their problem not yours; so ling as bank gives out outrageous mortgages and longer durations and vultures funds own properties to let then Ireland is fubbered

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