@ihcalaM: so tell me then if its a situation where there’s lock downs every few weeks , open up again , another spike in cases, another lock down repeat and repeat over and over and the virus doesn’t go anywhere, meanwhile 50% of the population will likely lose their jobs and society is on the verge of crumbling, because if they keep on doing this is exactly what will happen, instead of just opening up and protecting those most at risk.

@David Lee: That time of day where David needs everything explained to him again. Locking down areas where the virus is getting out of hand is the only way we can stop over crowding in hospitals for now. They then reopen when numbers have stabilised. See you again tomorrow.

@David Lee: 100% – round and round the mulberry bush

@SB: something sinister going on..NWO power, control and manipulatation …lockdownnthen when a smidgen of freedom doled out the sheeple think giv is great and life’s wonderful…bonkers loo la stuff and it’s a game of jump ok how high!!

@SB: We had record numbers on trollies last year. Throw a pandemic in the mix with our terrible health service and it’ll be a disaster for people suffering all illnesses.

@Peter Denham: and the virus is just going to magically disappear is it? You do realise lock downs won’t eradicate the virus don’t you, all it’ll do is cripple the economy, so keep on with lock downs every few weeks and by next year the country will be bankrupt,and that’s the fact, they haven’t got the money to substain this indefinitely.

@SB: it obviously won’t eradicate it. Just ignore the part where I said our health system will collapse then why don’t you? Also it’s a complete lie that there’s been lockdowns every few weeks. This is the way it has to be until there’s a vaccine.

@David Lee: have you a better solution

@Peter Denham: you don’t know for certain it’ll cripple the health system, the majority of cases are young people who don’t need hospital treatment, what’s very certain though is that the economy will absolutely crash if you keep with constant lock downs which do no good whatsoever

@David Lee: what do you suggest we do instead? Abandon all restrictions and hope for the best?

@Peter Denham: plus you could be pi**ing in the wind waiting on a vaccine,it could take years.

@Peter Denham: absolutely

@SB: records numbers and trollies last year and massive waiting lists. It will cripple the health system

@Isabella Hickey: I’ve some shares in an aluminium millinery factory should you want to buy some

@Peter Denham: you have conveniently ignored what I said, the majority of cases are younger people most who won’t require any hospital treatment, even with this spike in cases there’s no shortage of hospital beds right now, you also never answered my question about the economy?

@Peter Denham: And what if there’s never a vaccine? Or it takes years? Or it’s rushed out, and unsafe (manufacturers are indemnified against and harm it causes)

@Shane Fitzgibbon: then we continue as we are with a traffic light system. Cases increase, we protect ourselves by minimizing the spread with a lockdown. The whole world is in the same boat and you’re so tied up with what about the economy, the economy, the economy…. what good is the money if you don’t have your health. If you don’t have a solution or can’t suggest something different don’t ask questions cos it makes you sound unbearable.

@ihcalaM: agreed. We currently have 16 patients in icu. The maximum number of icu beds in this country is 64. When or if it reaches that level medical personnel will need to decide who lives or who doesn’t. No one wants a repeat of what happened in Italy. We have leeway of 45 more people in icu. This is an insidious disease. Its not only life threatening its side effects are widespread chronic and unpredictable in all ages.

@Peter Denham: so why did Sweden who never shut down not experience over crowding in their icu’s when we have more icu beds per 100,000 than they have?

@SB: By that logic, I don’t know for certain that jabbing a pencil in my eye will kill me. It will probably blind me and will definitely hurt. We know for certain our health system is crap. Throwing the pressure of a pandemic on top, might not cripple it but it won’t be pretty.

@James: Because they doubled their ICU capacity over the course of the pandemic. And many other reasons.

https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.thelocal.com/20200623/how-sweden-doubled-intensive-care-capacity-to-treat-coronavirus-patients/amp

Italy had more than double the ICU beds per capita than us, yet their ICUs were absolutely overwhelmed and the system was blown to pieces by C-19.

@Isabella Hickey: If it’s a big conspiracy, why wasn’t it done years ago?

@Isabella Hickey: anyone who uses the word sheeple immediately loses all credibility. (Except those of us pointing this out)

@Laro Alba: correct, what good is the money
When your; pushing up the Dasies…

@Isabella Hickey: you’re just a whole buncha dim crazy huh?

@saoirse janneau: we have more than 64 ICU beds a simple Google search will tell you that but sure you keep peddling manure

@SB:

Give us a percentage and a figure of the population that are vulnerable and need to shelter?

@Ronan Fahy: Slowly slowly the world revolves, slowly slowly the revolution.

@SB: sensible medics being shouted down by bedwetters

@ihcalaM: the problem is the healthcare system is very poor. Good front line staff, but not enough of them, and all reaching their limits.

@Peter Denham: I bet there very few on trolleys now. Nobody going near the hospital. Just shows that people going to the hospital as a first resort rather than last. Obviously not in all cases but in some.

@saoirse janneau: it’s far, far more than64.

@donal bigley: We have 411. Google it.

@Isabella Hickey: you’ve been watching too much Netflix.

@Laro Alba: a traffic light system for years? People talk about the economy because we need a functional economy to pay for public services. If you think the health service is based now, what about when cuts come because income tax is way down and there are less businesses paying tax. The solution is more research and resources towards rapid testing. A short term lockdown may he needed but once numbers are very low then we need to be randomly testing everywhere and testing at our airports. The only way to close clusters is to break chains of transmissions. This can only be done if the vast majority of asymptomatic cases are caught before they become a problem. With better contact tracing then the virus can be chased down. We can’t go in and out of lockdown for years. That will cost more lives.

@David Lee: It’s the price we have to pay for electing governments that refused to tackle our shambolic health system for decades.

@Ross: who are you listening to – never heard it called that….

@Olivia Smith: thanks, not the best of spellers.. I have athlete’s foot

@Ross: Is it in the mouth all the time?

@Olivia Smith: must be :)

@Tim Otoole: free the pubs

@Olivia Smith: hahahaha

@Ross: I agree with the view of news presenters but in fairness very few people understand Donegal people

@Laro Alba: I’d usually call that a BURN. Lol

@Ross: jealous of the Dubs yeah? It’s alright we’re used to it.

@gary mullen: yes it must be very tough for you personally Gary. So many people envying your geographical location. I particularly hear the people of the wild Atlantic way are sick of being woken up by the waves crashing against the cliffs. They dream of the loud brutish Dublin accent and police sirens for their wake up call!

@Ross: I take it your a culchie dubs hater

@Luke: yeah, agreed. I saw that graphic too. It does say level 3 indoor dining is allowed with restrictions, so not closed. Very misleading alright.

@Luke: Donegal to go into Level 3 confirmed. Happy?

@Luke:

-> Level 3
Bars serving food, Cafés & Restaurants: Range of restrictions up to and including no indoor dining

Wet Pubs: Range of restrictions up to and including no indoor service*

https://assets.gov.ie/87604/405b1065-055a-4ca8-9513-390ce5298b10.pdf

@Luke: the comments about not sticking rigidly to the road map and the levels remind me of the car driver who drivers through the potholes cause google says so rather than going around them as real thinking people would.

A roadmap and plan that are rigid and not flexible is doomed to failure if anything changes – so great if we have level 3 with some items excluded but that is the same as having level 3 with some extras included too.

The sad fact is that where road maps are interpreted too rigidly the wheels fall off the car from driving through the potholes and likewise with covid-19 rules.

@Peter McGlynn: So a fetus should be kept alive at all costs but adult humans lives are expendable?

@SB: They can’t win with people like you. “Staycationing” was an obvious encouragement for everyone to restrict foreign travel. Would you have preferred they completely banned all travel outside your county until next year…. to be on the safer side?

@Pascal Coleman: spot on, government are in a no win position

Not surprised Donegal has spiked. Was there and very little controls in place. Buffet breakfast in hotel with guests sharing scoopers, people ordering and gathering at the bars. That combined with the proximity to NI where the virus is in overdrive. Perfect storm

@SB: Ya see there’s the problem right there, they are basing The Donegal and other Casedemic lockdowns on “Might have been”. In other words completely baseless reasons. On top of this, pretty much everyone with the infection will suffer nothing more than a Common Cold (Also Coronavirus) or possibly nothing, purely asymptomatic.

NPHET, mere getting orgasmic now at wanting to shut down many parts of the country. Last night one of this NPHET muppets came out with a nefarious statement about the young dying, still trying to figure out what their agenda is with this unsupported by research narrative they keep using.

The NPHET ego is losing the run of itself and this failed Government have absolved themselves from making any economic, social and generally helpful decisions. They merely allow an unelected body drive this country into the ground.

@Pascal Coleman: why, it’s far far safer to fly on half empty planes to quiet holiday resorts abroad as I did myself then it is fork out a small fortune to stay in brutal weather in Ireland bored to tears and then you get Covid-19 to top it all off, yeah sounds great alright.

@PeeedOff: Casedemic? I’ve searched all my dictionaries and can’t find this word. Did Gemma give it to you?

@SB: it’s 50% safer. Or half the chance. It’s about limiting risk

@SB: @SB: Because the experts (who are certainly not you and me) say that containment is the key to alleviating ALL of us of this virus that is killing off the vulnerable who die alone and without a proper burial for their families. Travelling hundreds of miles between countries while sharing limited breathing space with several people wouldn’t be my idea of virus containment….. But then people who won’t take expert advice are a big part of the reason why we’re ALL still in this situation and will be for the considerable future.

@SB: haha that comment cracked me up so true

@Pascal Coleman: you are aware that planes have air filtration, plus everyone wears a mask, this isn’t the case on Irish rail or Bus Eireann, so you’ll forgive me for saying I feel much safer on a plane than travelling to some overcrowded Irish resort a crowded bus or train, I and many many others have absolutely zero faith or confidence in what NPHET say or do any more, they have all but lost the Irish people.

@ahhere: it’s actually true as well lol

@Pascal Coleman: another thing if air travel is supposedly so dangerous why aren’t there multiple clusters of airline staff with the virus eh, your not making any sense at all pascal time to admit defeat here.

@SB: “I and many many others have absolutely zero faith or confidence in what NPHET say or do any more, they have all but lost the Irish people.” …. You got your a$$ handed to you a few days ago by loads of people for saying that and yet here you are repeating the same old cràp again. No, SB, the vast majority of people do listen to expert advise, a small minority of gibshìtes ignore it and prolong the restrictions for all of us. Cop on and stop thinking you know more than medical experts, you don’t.

@Lee Brennan: its happening both ways Lee. Half of Donegal is shopping in Strabane and Derry

@Thomas O’ Donnell: very few deaths so the answer is pretty obvious. These restrictions aren’t necessary. The livlihoods of hundreds of thousands do matter!

@Paul Potts: absolutely

@michael: correct!

@Paul Potts: the economy is the people. No jobs equals poverty, lack of health, death , homelessness.

@michael: not very good at maths.. Are we?

@Isabel Oliveira: your health is your wealth.

@Paul Potts: relax, the GAFAM will take over Ireland and these 5 companies will employ a fifth of the population each, all working.from home with free pizza delivery.
PS I am being sarcastic. I’d tend to agree.

@Monster Munch: They would rise exponentially if no actions were taken, however as I’m sure you’ve noticed almost everyone is wearing a mask while shopping or working indoors, washing their hands regularly and abiding by the guidelines and restrictions. There are as always a few that prefer to shirk their social responsibility but for the most part it’s great to see the deaths not rise exponentially thanks in part to the actions that we as a collective have taken.

@There is no hope for humanity!: No it’s just in general I don’t get it. We should be united in wherever restrictions are brought in.

@SB: So we agree on something on here? It can happen. :)

@Olivia Smith: from the first lockdown I chasing news everyday, read comments, then gov respond, act, tracing app, test, boarder control … the way some business run … the world politics game, then I changed my ID to this, I don’t see any light in this tunnel till vaccines, even vaccines out, still will be a game again. My business is on the thin ice, just received 2 more bills today council rate and IMRO, reduced but still big and need to pay with zero incoming, we should be face this pandemic together, but… so frustrated, as said life still move on :)

@There is no hope for humanity!: I do think there should be some exemptions for the likes of council tax and such and I genuinely feel for business who might never recover but I value life over business. I’m sorry if that’s hard to hear. Business can start again, life can’t:(

@Olivia Smith: yes, they did give big credit for the bill, for past few months when we opened still hardly to cover. Anyway as a resident in Ireland I will do my part. no matter what the sun will rise again tomorrow :) stay safe

@Niall Ó Cofaigh: Considering the context of Isabel’s comment and the article, I’d say yes, because the opposition parties/independents have been very weak but, the cynical aspect of this is that they are just going to let the government hang themselves – which they’re doing quite successfully – but it is also wrong because without opposition all we have is authoritarianism which only benefits those who impose it on the rest of us plebs.

We can’t rely on journalists; we can’t rely on the opposition parties/independents; we can’t rely on medical doctors/scientists who are politically affiliated; similarly, we can’t rely on pharmaceutical companies; we can’t rely on civil servants; we can’t rely on politicians; we can’t rely on the WHO, so, who can we rely on?

@Ger Murphy: it’s like level 3.5 pubs and restaurants are allowed to open in level 3

@Ger Murphy: Pubs and restaurants are already working under restrictions so what difference would it make? Not as if they can be rammed for a few days as people know level 3 is on the way.

@michael: It’s a public health emergency, what do you expect.

@michael: they dont care. This is about health my ařse

@Jonathan McCoy: Some reality checks on how economies fail?

@James: The Swedish Covid Utopia myth has been debunked. Go looked at their numbers during the height of the first wave compared to their neighbours. Even the mastermind behind the Swedish plan admitted there were missteps. Just this week a Swedish doctor had to U-turn on the Irish/Sweden model.

@Paul Cunningham: We didn’t keep our elderly alive. Government and NPHET threw them to the wolves. Remember nursing homes and care facilities. Our elderly were also moved out of hospitals and into these hell holes to free up beds. Whats worse a blind eye was turned until they were exposed.

@Olivia Smith: go back into ur cave

@Paul Cunningham: because there is a difference between living and surviving because that’s why sweden choose not to lockdown