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LAST UPDATE | 4 Oct 2020
THE NATIONAL PUBLIC Health Emergency Team has recommended that the entire country move to Level 5, the highest restrictions possible.
The recommendation was made following a NPHET meeting this evening as cases of Covid-19 continue to rise sharply across Ireland.
A NPHET source told TheJournal.ie that the “projections are very bad” and that there needs to be a “major shift”.
They said that there has been a “big deterioration” in the situation in the country in recent days.
However, there are concerns among NPHET that the government will not agree to the Level 5 recommendation, with one source suggesting that the country may not be ready for such a strong change.
One member of government queried whether the public would adhere to a Level 5 lockdown at this point.
Government sources said tonight that the majority of ministers are shocked at the advice and are against the escalation – though they added that it would be a big deal for the government to actually say no to a NPHET recommendation.
It is understood the government is surprised at the advice to jump to Level 5 given the societal and economic ramifications involved.
A number of sources expressed serious concerns that Ireland would be the only country in Europe to have such an approach to Covid-19.
These sources were worried that a Level 5 shutdown could cause permanent economic damage.
They also noted that while hospital and ICU numbers are rising, approximately 1% of general beds and 7% of ICU beds are being used to treat Covid-19 patients. There is ‘ample capacity’ in the healthcare system to deal with an increase in patients, they said, through private acquisitions and the use of CityWest in Dublin.
With surprise expressed among a number of government sources at the scale of the recommendation, this could be the point at which government has its biggest break from NPHET advice, weighing up the economic, societal and mental health pressures involved, sources said.
NPHET is believed to have recommended that the restriction would last for four weeks.
The three government party leaders will discuss the advice with Chief Medical Officer Tony Holohan tomorrow.
Currently two counties – Dublin and Donegal – are at Level 3 while the rest of the country is at Level 2.
Health officials have painted a bleak picture of the challenge facing Ireland. The Department of Health has confirmed a further 364 new cases of Covid-19 in Ireland today and no additional deaths.
Yesterday, there were 614 new cases of the virus confirmed here.
Several ministers were taken aback by tonight’s meeting as they said NPHET last Thursday thought it was unwarranted to move all of the country to Level 3.
They queried why there has been a change in approach only a few days later.
The government will be informed of the outcome of tomorrow’s meeting between the coalition leaders and the Chief Medical Officer. Any recommendation will go to an oversight group before Cabinet.
This evening’s NPHET meeting was chaired by Dr Tony Holohan, who returned to his role as Chief Medical Officer today after three months away on temporary leave to care for his wife.
What Level 5 restrictions would mean
Under Level 5 restrictions, people would be asked to stay at home except to exercise within 5km of their homes. It would be advised that people do not have any visitors to their homes.
Employees would be advised to work from home unless it is for work in health, social care or other essential services that cannot be done from home. Schools and creches would remain open with protective measures in place.
No social or family gatherings in other locations – either indoors or outdoors – would be allowed to take place.
The two exceptions to this would be weddings, with guest numbers limited to six, and funerals at which up to ten mourners could attend.
Other religious services would all be held online but places of worship would remain open for prayer.
Those aged over 70 and the medically vulnerable would be advised to exercise their judgement regarding the extent to which they engage with others and in activities outside their homes. Specific guidance for these groups would be issued in the event of a move to Level 5.
Bars, cafés and restaurants would only be allowed to offer a takeaway/delivery service. Hotels would be open only for those with essential non-social and non-tourist purposes.
Museums, galleries and other cultural attractions would be closed.
No matches or sporting events would be allowed, only individual training could continue and gyms would have to close.
Public transport would be restricted to 25% capacity and people would be advised to walk or cycle instead, where possible.
Additional reporting by Christina Finn, Cónal Thomas, Dominic McGrath and Michelle Hennessy.
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I can’t be the only one who’s just completely numb to any COVID news at this point, it’s not a lack of caring or empathy cause I follow the guidelines and wear the masks and comply with the rules as much as possible, it’s just 7 months of constant news overwhelmingly negative just makes you not want to even think about it anymore
@The God Of All Nerds: well said. Problem is there’s any amount of characters that lap up what they are told is bad news. Weir dos
@The God Of All Nerds: and id say you in are a silent majority too – most normal people are wearing masks , standing away from each other in shops etc -yet 75% of the new infections are younger – which on the plus side when other countries seen this were thankful as they do not need icu and hospitalisations – our shower are turning into an anti alcohol finger wagging one trick pony constantly threatening restrictions and lockdowns – they need to rethink their plan because they have lost the people at this stage – all in this together was a lie all along anyways – they made sure to ring fence all civil servants got workers and HSE admin etc from any financial impacts whatsoever – despite this so called ‘all in this together’ unprecedented times – they were still untouchable – we had the farce of thousand of them working from home faffing on full pay while the job losses mounted in sectors right across the country – miracously RTE have been given millions more to bail them out , HSE have gotten an extra half a billion and the rest of us are told 350 is ‘unsustainable’ – its beyond a joke how pooly they are mismanaging this crisis
@The God Of All Nerds: I’m with you on this. So fed up of daily updates on figures etc etc. Not knowing if another lockdown is going to happen,should we stock up,are our families and jobs safe..will we lose our homes. It’s a constant worry
@The God Of All Nerds: you and me totally had enough negative!
@Decko49: well for starters my solution would involve looking outwards at best practice in other developed countries like Germany Beligium Sweden etc – even Ital had 800 deaths a day at its peak but can manage to ‘Balance’ reopening since June and havent seen deaths spike – so maybe instead of being so inward looking and convinced our slow narrow one trick restrictions blunt instrument approach ( whiich isnt getting any better outcomes by the way ) needs to be relooked at – why are they not big enough to admit they messed up nursing homes , meat factories , direct provision , airport testing and now its october and the only plan they have is lockdown lockdown lockdown – yet the damages lockdowns caused ( and there is plenty of evidence in other countries where they were big enough to research it – ) they concluded that its a blunt instrument and the damage inflicted is not required – you might be aware that ~sweden etc was being sneered at yet they didnt shutdown and they fared no worse than we did with our massive inflicted damage – so I am critical of their decision making and management – and I dont think they should be beyond criticism – they are paid the big bucks and hold leadership positions to manage the country during these times – we fund the health sector – and i dont subscribe to this nonsense of all in this together and they shouldbt be critised and questioned and asked to explain their decisions and give clear answers and demonstrate the big decisions are based on science and facts – because they havent been doing a good job at any of that – this most recent nonsense where they said 10 deaths yesterday for a headline and then said oh 8 of them were last month is one example of how they are miscommunicating and mis managing at this stage – they need to do better – their track record of managing HSE for 20 years would leave a lot of us to question their track record – i do not subscribe to this pius reverential nonsense – they are playing in the big league and need to be questions and more answerable to the people for their decision making IMO
@The God Of All Nerds: I think most people do. If you go through that couple that led to 30 cases there are a lot out there living like that. Living life on the full. Meals, pints the lot. These people run an R rate of 30 to 40.
Know people now getting this bad , family with one member just coming off life support. Others in family grand.
@The God Of All Nerds: I hear ya. I have stopped watching the news and I have unfollowed all news sources on my social media. This is the only online news sitw/app I use now and I usually avoid Covid19 related stories here too. Unless it’s a big story like this one. It can really get you down watching or reading bad news all the time so I’m going down the ignorance is bliss route.
@Dave Hammond: well said, this NPHET need to be put in the background
@The God Of All Nerds: I can only imagine what news during WW1 or 2 would have been like if the internet and media we have now was around then, Covid is depressing but a major war would have you thinking we’re all fk’ed.
@Paul O Neill: ” well said, this NPHET need to be put in the background”
Yes, lets do what America and the likes of Brazil did and not listen to medical experts. They’ve trained in their fields for most of their lives but lets not listen to them when we’re in the middle of the only pandemic in our lifetimes.
So honest question, if we put them in the background as you suggest then who do we take recommendations from? Twitter or Facebook?
@The God Of All Nerds: I couldn’t put how I feel daily into words. You just did it there for me. Thank you.
@The God Of All Nerds:
Thespian at this stage.
@Marcus: They’re giving their recommendation on the amount of people that have been confirmed to have contracted the virus as they say each day, you don’t get a test back & confirmed in 12-24 hrs. It can take 1-2 wks for these tests to come back. They can bring as many lockdowns as they like in it’s not going to stop or slow down this virus. These govt officials might like to think it will but until a vaccine is found we should get used to living with it & try 2 carry on with life as normal instead of becoming prisoners in our own homes.
@What’s in a name?: All he said was he is sick of hearing bad news and at nl point claimed to have the answer..your type are really starting to bug me..cheer up
@The God Of All Nerds: It is tough to keep going for so long but sure, we’re experiencing a worldwide coronavirus pandemic which is surreal!Even now into the 8th month of it!
It is frustrating when you follow the public health advice and guidelines ,then you see people every day ignore them!If we all followed that advice,the need for lockdowns substantially reduced.
Government needs to have a concrete support plan for workers,SMEs,etc!
@Dave Hammond: 100% spot on
@jason prendergast: 24 hours and you get the results
@Nuala Mc Namara: But it’s not about a lockdown.
While we should work from home, entertainment is pretty much banned as we could spread the virus, you aren’t allowed to have a visitor or even drive alone to the next mountain.
But you have to send your child to school with classes of 30 children.
@Ger: me too don’t listen to radio anymore and deleted the Covid app…enough is enough!
@The God Of All Nerds: Was it not positive news when numbers came crashing down after the first lockdown? We need to hit that again and the only way to do it is to lockdown again.
@jason prendergast: where are you getting your info from? Tests have a turnaround of 48 hours at most now. And lockdown significantly reduced the numbers of cases and deaths. Yeah, in a sense we need to get on with it and learn to deal, but everything else you’ve said is absolute bs
@Cupid Stunt: and what happens when there is another spike. Lockdown again. Lockdown is only a temporary fix. Corona is with us for a long time and we have to work with it and manage it as it part of our daily lives for the foreseeable future. Instead of lockdown, give the powers that be more power to act on situations as they occur-people congregating in groups in the streets, house parties, introducing significant fines for non compliance (hit people in the pocket €€€€). What happened to the couple that allegedly infected 30 odd people recently. Is there a law that they can be charged with endangerment? Why should the majority of compliant people suffer at the hands of those who disregard the advice and the livelihoods and health and well being of those who are 100% compliant.
@Liam Armstrong: we can’t even build a children’s hospital do you think they could build an icu hospital at short notice
Level 5 mean the nail in the coffin for a lot of businesses.
Sad times.
@Fabio Dillon: which has been the globalists plan all along – Amazon etc getting their way
@BeyondRoom313: Any fear of NPHET becoming a scapegoat by the government when this virus goes rampant just got blown out of the water.
@BeyondRoom313: amazon are great tho
@BeyondRoom313: whats your thoughts and what they will do to pubs do you think it will be like one pub allowed per town and the pub will be some cooperate pub full of government propaganda
@Fabio Dillon: It won’t mean the end for millions paid to consultant owned Private clinics though. Who are the people making this outrageous suggestion, any connection I wonder.
@the-baldie-lad:
You’ve got it all wrong. It’s the 5G that’s making people sick, Bill Gates is trying to trick us into getting vaccines so he can microchip us and then the 5G towers will install windows Vista on everyone’s brain.
VISTA ffs, the man is EVIL
@Fabio Dillon: Nail in the coffin for many a persons mental health
@BeyondRoom313: I feel sorry for you
I agreed with the first lockdown. I’ve complied with all the restrictions since the start, but this decision is absolutely disgraceful. Not 4 days ago NEPHET decided not to impose level 3 on counties with climbing cases and now they’ve suddenly decided the entire country should go back into a full lockdown. My spouse works in an industry that is on its knees already. I’m terrified for my families future. The country will go bankrupt. This is the wrong decision.
@Bananaquit: Absolutely agree. And I just cannot see level 5 being supported by the public. Not enough gardai to impose it.
@Bananaquit: Couldn’t agree more. I haven’t worked since the 8th of March. No support. Cutting payments. It’s soul destroying to be honest.
@Robert Clifford: best of luck. There are lots of us I’m afraid in this position
@Mairead Jenkins: agreed. Public won’t buy into this insanity in a million years. Hope some sane voices in Govt might prevail.
@Bananaquit: “My spouse works in an industry that is on its knees already. I’m terrified for my families future. ”
Im afraid for my families future but its from f’ing dying from this virus, can people get it into their heads that without people alive there is no economy. Sweet jesus this is beyond insanity, ah my local pub closed and 7 people lost their jobs…yes that’s bad but 12 people have died in my area and some are family. Those lives are never coming back, we get one shot where as the economy will always come back.
@Marcus: it’s okay to be worried about your financial future Marcus. You’re not the decider of what should be worried. You need money to live. Dope.
@Marcus: It’s very easy to see you have a secured income or no mortgage to pay. Come back to us if you end up homeless and let’s see how stupid you think it is for people to worry about their financial safety.
@Bananaquit: travel and tourism and aviation industry on their knees and all the business associated with them. 3 family members have not worked since March. Full lockdown for a month will ruin the country
@Marcus: you sad individual
@Bananaquit: it’s a suggestion ya goose
@Marcus: chicken little. Get over yourself.
@Marcus: So if at risk, cocoon? Simple. Time for the fit and healthy to work and the at risk to cocoon. It you live with at risk people, you also cocoon. Wont work for everybody and wont safe everybody but it’s the best way forward.
@Aaron: I agree with Marcus and I have no such securities. I rent and work at an insecure, low-paid job. Homelessness, hunger and fear have never loomed closer than they do now.
Yes indeed, there is a huge element of lack of fairness with regards to who can weather this storm and who can not. Let’s not turn on each other or, worse, turn on our own selves and our essential health requirements. Your health is your wealth. Money can come and go, you have far less control over that than you have been led to believe.
The economy is supposed to serve us and at one time it may have done so. We now exist to serve the economy. This needs a radical overhaul.
Meanwhile, as sentient beings with personal agency, we are free to protect ourselves from illness. It is a fundamental human right. It’s about time our political leadership got wise to that and arranged extreme financial supports for us, as are called for by the current conditions of our shared reality and as have been made available to various sectors in recent years.
Extreme lockdown conditions would be far shorter lived than the panic inducing in-and-out of restrictions on a sliding scale we currently have.
Although full lockdown would look stark for a couple of months, radical investment in ourselves by expanding welfare payments to the entire population, banning evictions and pausing or subsidising all mortgages and loans etc., would nourish us for generations to come.
Radical investment in ourselves would expedite the end of the virus, with all of the social, cultural and economic benefits inherent therein.
To continue to force us to put our lives and life long health at risk to support the economy, through the fallacy that this is the only way to form a livelihood, is not sustainable.
Very scary times, and not because of Covid, because of NPHET, No other country in Europe is reacting like this
@David Lee: The number of hospital beds we have is being considered.
@David Lee: BS. No Covid-19 = no NPHET, stop blaming NPHET.
@Toni: That’s not true. At all. This is dangerous misinformation.
@Toni: completely untrue. Why do people insist on lying?
@Toni: Check your figures.
@David Lee: 100% it’s an outrageous proposal
@David Lee: SARS-COV-2 is the enemy,not NPHET!
@David Lee: “No other country in Europe is reacting like this”
Every country in the world bar a few are following medical experts like we have in NPHET, if you have an issue with listening and taking advise from experts then that is an issue with you and the other 690 clowns who likes your post.
@David Lee: France and Spain are both reacting. Madrid has a strict rules currently and Paris is closing all bars from Tuesday. So it is other countries I believe
@Adrian: exactly, Madrid acted, not the entire country if Spain! Dublins infection rate has been high since the introduction of the level system a few weeks ago and they put them on special treatment of a new level of 2.5 because they didn’t want to lock it down. Now everyone suffers. Mayo had 5 cases today and should be tarred with the same brush? It’s crap.
@David Lee: No other country is paying millions to the very people making the decisions, only Ireland.
@Odie Premier Lufc: “millions” really. Good heavens the journal really brings out the dummies
@David Lee: and that point shouldn’t be lost on people – no matter how hard they PR and spin this – and fear monger and selectively publish stats (like 10 deaths in a day ) that they then say was acutally from over a month – they are not managing this like ANY other EU country – the Govt CANNOT just go along with this nonsense – they lost the people and way too many are being decimated – if they make all the health management roles take 3 day week and cut pay they will come to very different recommendations very fast – 70% of those infected are younger – NPHET only two days ago said they werent recommending other couties move – whats the Fkking point in having a living with Covid 5 level plan if they are just throwing all the guidelines out overnight on a sunday and going for full lockdown – THIS HAS TO BE RESISTED – it is gross mismanagement
@Marcus: God forbid to consider looking at what health experts of other countries recommend. They would probably have said to use the initial lockdown to prepare the health system as initially advertised.
Now they want to do it again but thiss time while children are going to schools which were also not upgraded in classes of 30 children and you are expecting people to agree.
Think about that yourself
Cases are obviously going to increase when there is no social distancing on school transport and masks not being worn at lunch. Joke of a government
@Aisling Doyle: People will always blame others. And when they or family member get it it will be someone else’s fault. Bunch of kids in this country.
@Ger Murphy: your right, saw a lady trot into a petrol station lately, no mask, coughing and sputtering, no staff member would challenge her..
@Beer Belly 0476: I’d like to see your stats to back up your claim regarding school cases. I think most cases have been attributed to people gathering or community transmission. Many children have been presented to testing but most are picking up common colds. Regarding your ‘joke of a government’ you’ll blame anyone because it’s easy to whilst behind a screen. Come work on the front lines for a day and then see where the real work is being done
@Ger Murphy: I know a bus company that can’t afford to do social distancing. No support from the government whatsoever. Can’t blame anyone but the government for that. Also can’t expect people to be wearing masks 12 hours a day non – stop. School times should be changed and cramming 30 students into a small classroom isn’t the answer
@dodofrey: from my own first hand knowledge many students have tested positive and simply been sent home. Doesn’t matter that they’ve been in contact with 50+ others. This spreads through families and then communities.
@Beer Belly 0476: There’s only so much the government could do. As an older sibling, I always teach my younger sister on the importance of social distancing and wearing masks to school. As does my family and our family friends do with their kids. Most schools in my area are aware of the severity that coronavirus can do. We cant keep blaming the government when it’s entirely up to us to behave, always remember to adhere with guidelines and work as a whole to beat this thing.
@Beer Belly 0476: cases are obviously going to go up when masks are introduced and social distancing disappears. Kinda based on what NPHET said months ago.
@Ger Murphy: lockdowns are only effective in the short term. Non compliance rates go up as time goes on. That’s globally and Ireland is no exception.
@Beer Belly 0476: What school has a 12 hour day?
@Beer Belly 0476: how about you call out friends and family that won’t follow the guidelines? Blaming government when they are clearly doing better than most by european standards seems like point scoring.
@ianglen: would challenge or could challenge? Don’t blame a staff member for someone that doesn’t give a damn. Why didn’t you challenge the person?
@Beer Belly 0476: My favourite ‘I know a friend’s auntie’s cousin’ anecdotal stories….
@dodofrey: if you look at the age profile before the schools opened and since the beginning of September which I did last week you too can see the increase in the ratio of school goers to others. Quite a significant swing towards that age group 5-14 and 15-24. This does not prove it is the schools and contact tracking and testing may even indicate otherwise but on raw data the mixing of people in that age group makes schools and sports suspect.
@Vladimir Macro: yes interesting to see that the czech-republic who introduced masks very early on now have the 3rd highest number of cases per 100,000 in 14 days so it could indicate that wearing a mask makes people complacent about social distancing to their detriment.
@Ger Murphy: because they need to prosecute people for breaking the guidelines and stop the SUSI for the rocknand roll students who are partying for a start
@Beer Belly 0476: very few cases coming from schools
@Beer Belly 0476: Yeah that’s a typical response. What about everyone taking personal responsibility?? And the Gardai should turn water canon on those irresponsible anti markers in Henry Street yesterday.
@Beer Belly 0476: how is one supposed to eat lunch while wearing a mask?
@Beer Belly 0476: joke of a comment more like, how are government to blame for school children not wearing masks.
@Aisling Doyle: yes well said.
@Aisling Doyle: yes well said
@Aisling Doyle: how about a few cans in the park with Leo or a golf dinner with the top brass.
@Beer Belly 0476: So Irish people cannot follow the rules you mean. How hard is it to wash your hands, wear a mask and social distance. It’s not difficult but unfortunately a lot of people are to stupid or just don’t care.
@Justin Fay: I’m a school student and it’s absolutely ridiculous, we are spaced 1 metre apart and there’s about 30 of us crammed into a classroom, when it’s lunch we all eat at our desks without masks at 1 metre apart, we don’t have any say in whether we get to do this or not and it’s very easy to wag a finger but students aren’t getting a say in the procedures so no its not a personal choice it’s a procedure that we follow because we are made to
@Ger Murphy: I can’t remember the last time since it was made mandatory going into a place and seeing someone not wearing a mask. Is it possible this thing is so rampant that masks are not the silver bullet we all hoped for? While the science has proved they undoubtedly help I think people(myself included) have put too much faith in them at the expense of social distancing. Healthcare workers covered from head to toe in PPE everyday have died from covid-19.I just think people are going have to quit the blame game and accept that Spikes and lockdowns is the order of the day until a vaccine is found. Its a balls but it seems realistically the only way forward to protect the vulnerable in our families.
@♡: Yeah, it’s not like it is the government or the Oireachteas or the Judiciary that are having the morally corrupt large gatherings in defiance of common good and solidarity is it ? OH WAIT
@Aisling Doyle: because Gov is responsible for providing bus/classroom capacity to allow social distancing. They chose to do nothing. The same at the airports. 8 months into a pandemic and still no travel controls. Selfish people (right across the socio-economic spectrum) are travelling and spreading this. If we had adequate controls at the border we could go about our lives. That’s what’s being done in countries that are on top of this.
When are people going to wake up and revolt? This is a disgrace!
@Dr Pablo Rojas Coppari: You fruitcakes are the most gullible people in the world. You believe every sort of nonsense and conspiracy theory on the internet. You are the sheep you keep going on about.
@Dr Pablo Rojas Coppari: time to take your tinfoil hat off
@Dr Pablo Rojas Coppari: I wish we could let all those who want to get on with life do so…. somewhere very far away from the rest of us. !
@Ahya: well said. The tinfoil brigade believe the most unbelievable stuff.
@The Guy is Here: He’s got a point. Why are we all cow towing to NPHET? Why isn’t this government capable of making their own decisions?
@Robert Clifford: because NHPET is made up of medical experts and the Government isn’t. Do you people have any idea how Government and public services actually work. One would be tempted to say they should spend a few hours educating themselves on this type of thing instead of moaning on the internet.
@Dr Pablo Rojas Coppari: look at all the clowns so happy to have their freedoms taken away
@Ahya: So you still believe the Government when they said ‘only 4 days’ back in April then?
@Dr Pablo Rojas Coppari: My freedoms are being taken away by SARS-CoV-2, you innane clown.
@Dr Pablo Rojas Coppari: All of our freedoms are being taken away because clòwns like you can’t listen to the experts.
@Dr Pablo Rojas Coppari: Maybe you just go on another holiday to the south of France?
@Ahya: lots of other medical experts would recommend a different approach but our government doesn’t want to hear it .
@ruairi: am in italy at the moment. It is great.
@Dr Pablo Rojas Coppari: in Italy people have stuck to rules and cases fell
@Dr Pablo Rojas Coppari: good. Please stay there. There’s enough antimask lo-onies here keeping the virus going without you adding to them..
@Ahya: fruitcakes? No people who can look and see the disgrace that is happening in this country caused by nphet and a government too afraid to take any decision . The “fruitcakes” that see what this country is becoming and the economic and mental devastation of almost 5 million people.
@Dr Pablo Rojas Coppari: get a mask and wear it, you turkey.
@Dr Pablo Rojas Coppari: if they didn’t revolt after the last 70 years they won’t.
@Mary Fitzsimons: what does the mask wearing have to do with it all? Where did I mention mask at all? You seem very simple
@Marcus: the anti-democratic crowd looooves lockdowns. Can’t get enough of them.
Protests over the weekend, parties, little to no social distancing in schools, people just taking chances popping into shops without face masks on etc. The situation is starting to become really serious again. It’s not just one age group but a combination of all, something needs to be done now before we reach a thousand cases a day.
@Rachel O’ Meara: Fines for not adhering to guidelines … Call it a stupiđity tax .
@Rachel O’ Meara: Deaths are still down 97 percent on the peak.
@Marcus: what, are we trying to make people immortal, now? Death is part of life. Premature death is tragic, so we need to protect the vulnerable. The secondary lives being lost because of the mishandling of this pandemic will far outweigh the Covid deaths, however.
@Rachel O’ Meara: Yes indeed, the people are the problem, just like the Crash, it’s Joe soaps fault. No point in holding Politicians, Oireachteas members, Judiciary et Al to account, it’s not like they’re off golfing and giving two fingers to the country is it ? Nope, and another few million to the Consultant owned Private hospitals for doing nothing won’t go amiss. We’ll be grand sure, just grand.
@Rachel O’ Meara: unfairness to the school’s and teachers they are trying, but what else can they do.
A kid in my daughter’s class coughed once, and was sent home
Of course Tony recommends level 5 of course, he despised the idea of opening up even a sliver of society back in March April may and June
@Aaron: not to say what’s happening isn’t serious but in fairness first thing he does is recommend level 5, can’t imagine the government will accept going to level 5
@Aaron: Looking at today’s figures, could he have been right? Did they open everything a few weeks too soon?
@The only INFP in Ireland: potentially. I mean I just find it funny that Tony recommends it, not that it’s not needed or anything, just funny that I said to someone yesterday that I bet he will recommend it. He does love a good lockdown
@The only INFP in Ireland: tbf opening up too soon likely made no difference we had 4 cases per day. You open up and it rises it’s either stay in total lockdown until the pandemic ends or open up and get on with it. Rock and a hard place really I suppose
@Aaron: it’s NPHET not Tony
@Toni: Tony chaired the meeting
@Aaron: And?
@Gavin Conran: it’s a joke relax. I’m fine with a lockdown aslonh as eviction bans and mortgage breaks are restored but yeah people here only care about Covid not families on the streets
@Aaron: This so called government are capable of anything.
@David O Brien: NPHET aren’t the government
@Aaron: yes because he only went into medicine to take away our “freedoms”.
Sweet jesus christ, the sooner they make people on the internet use ID to post the sooner you nutters are gone.
@The only INFP in Ireland: no we didn’t open up early enough. unfortunately when the nights draw in and people spend more time indoors the virus will spread. I doubt a level 5 lockdown will have the effect st. tony thinks it will.
@Marcus: It was a joke, read the comment I’m fine with the lockdown as long as securities are put in place for people’s well being such as bringing back the eviction ban and mortgage breaks. iD? That’s rich coming from the loon with a helicopter profile haha
@Toni: Guess who’s back ..
@Aaron: NPHET aren’t the government… but our government is occupied largely by career oriented people, not policy oriented healthcare professionals, social workers, public health experts etc.
If it was left solely to our politicians then they would make decisions around public health based purely on what is likely to get them elected next time with no view to short or long term viability of their policy decisions. This is regrettably the political culture we have forged in the past 100 years. People who genuinely care about enacting policy changes for the benefit of their fellow citizens are far far more likely to work in the public and civil service or in healthcare bodies such as NPHET. A civil or public servant does not care about their electability, they care about what will make their job easier and so will take decisions that mean fewer illnesses. We need to lean into our strengths now.
We will lose 10 times more people from suicide if they go to level five during the winter months..
@Jonathan Molloy: We won’t.
@Rochelle: hope you’re right
@Rochelle: hope you’re right
@Rochelle: no it doesn’t. Suicides are rising at an alarming rate.
@Rochelle: BULL.
@Dave Grant: And your sources?
@Jonathan Molloy: I’m with you on this . I’m a Psychotherpist and certainly have the same concerns .
@Rochelle: You luckily don’t suffer from mental illness. The only facts from that article states people avoided hospitals for mental health issues during lockdown which is a given. So your all evidence comment is pure hyperbole.
@Rochelle: How do you think we’re funding the fight against Covid? We’re running the country and paying for the health service on borrowed money because we can access the debt markets. There’s no guarantee that this will continue if we shut down the economy, the spread on debt can widen quickly and we could be shut out of the capital markets very easily – this isn’t a “minor inconvenience”, our capacity to to fund government including the fight against covid-19 will become the “emergency” if we don’t get our economy moving.
@Rochelle: not doing yourself any favours by stating”all” and then quoting 1 source which says “initial indications from data”.
And if you think surveys and data collection can measure either individual or societal mental health , then you are delusional
@Mia Morrissey: You can’t even spell what your job is. You might have other concerns to worry about.
@Rochelle: tired ? This is not ‘minor’, and its now 8 months, not ‘weeks’. Nothing to suggest that no matter what we do that we won’t still be dealing with this in 12 months time….
Irish economy RIP……thanks NPHET. But don’t worry you will still have a job. The government should get a set and say no.
@John Peeters: don’t think it was NPHET who created Covid was it?
@John Peeters: Do you disagree with experts in general or just medical one’s?
@Citygal: didn’t say they did, but only last Thursday – 4 days ago – they said they wouldn’t recommend moving the whole country to level 3. Now it’s level 5. Too much faith is being put in this so called scientific data. We have only 22 people in ICU, not 222 or 2,222. More focus needs to be on hospitalisations than just case numbers
@John Peeters: Well, Coronavirus can spread rapidly. Maybe NPHET know something you don’t?
@Cliff Burnby: Cliff you had a freak out when someone here posted an article by two Harvard professors of epidemiology saying lockdowns are kicking the can down the road. You’re in no place to comment on believing experts when experts FAR more qualified than our own went against your opinion and you dismissed them.
@Aaron: More qualified how exactly? Our approach has been to keep as much stress as possible off our Health system. We established early on we were kicking the can down the road in terms of prolonging it with smaller infection rates rather than try to deal with numbers beyond the capacity of our heath care system. So those qualified here have that in mind when exommending action – I dont believe the professors you are referring to had the same concerns in terms of the Irish health care system.
@Citygal: No but they’ve certainly created fear, panic, hardship and mismanagement on an astronomical scale.
@John Peeters: We only have 22 in ICU – so what number do you feel is enough to justify it then? 200? 1000?
The concern always falls back ultimately to the R0, which is well above 1 again (deemed closer to 2 in August)
At 2 – one person can go on to infect 1000 over 10 iterations if unchecked.
If we leave it off and it climbs to 3 – do the math on that one. Do the math on an R0 of 4 – then tell me we only have 22 in ICU. No good acting when our ICU is maxed – better idea to keep the numbers low than only act when they are at whatever number you deem to be acceptable.
@Gavin Conran: what about the deaths due to lockdown , do they count ? 22 ICU , if we go to lockdown will GPs see patients , can we get on with screening for cervical cancer and breast cancer and all cancers ? At what cost will we continue this approach . We need to accept there is risk involved and weigh it up , every death is tragic including the ones not from COVID
@Gavin Conran: That they have PhDs in epidemiology from Harvard university means they are more qualified. Tony is a GP. They are far more qualified on an education level than Tony. I’m afraid you don’t understand what education means…
@Gavin Conran: like did you not read a single thing I said HARVARD PROFESSORS OF EPIDIMIMEOLOGY. You seriously think a GP from UCD is more qualified? We locked down open up and now lockdown again. That is the definition of kicking the can down the road. Have you ever heard the definition of insanity? It’s doing the same thing over and over expecting a different result. That is exactly what is happenjnf
@John Hazelnut: maybe they should be more transparent and keep the people of the country with their views. I’m not saying further restrictions aren’t necessary but question as to why? My opinion is that it is to yes save lives of course but also and maybe more so to cover for the abysmal state of our health service and also our still not up to scratch test and trace system that they promised would be in place by now. There are 22 people in icu. The capacity is seriously lacking without covid19 and now it really shows. But Saint Anthony is back to save the day so we’ll all be sound surely.
NPHET seeking a lockdown not far off that in March? No other country in Europe is reacting like this. And halting entire industries and sectors in such a sudden manner will see economic ruin thrust upon so many people and locations. Cases are rising but deaths have not. I think the government would lose considerable support, as if they already had a body of it, if they accept this recommendation.
@EnKy: absolutely agree with all you state 100%
@Gavin Conran: there are people dying everyday Gavin ! whats your point . people will die of Covid , people will die because they cannot access treatment for their cancer .
@Gavin Conran: Your creepy attempt at guilting people isn’t working Gavin. Quick question how many deaths from let’s say any infection we know of would you need to support a lockdown? How many Covid deaths per day do you need to support a lockdown?
@Gavin Conran: People die every day ye muppet. You want to start pin pointing a certain reason? And you know what I mean.
Lock down the country then what? Open up again in a month, 2 months only for cases to rise again.
Another lockdown will destroy the economy.
@Derek Lyster: yes it will
@Cliff Burnby: death rate curve is low and flat, no change in a month.
@Cliff Burnby: but not before untold damage and misery on people’s livelihoods. A geriatric specialist was on Prime Time recently and he said sone of his patients would rather die than live under strict lockdown restrictions. Think about that one.
@Cliff Burnby: just because an economy comes back does NOT mean people’s livelihoods come back. The return of home ownership or living in homes from those made homes less through the recession is marginal. Economies come back but peoples financial well being rarely does. You’re happy to see families thrown out.
@Cliff Burnby: No cliff I am not. I am happy with a lockdown as long as the eviction ban and mortgages breaks are restored via law, they were left to expire just last month, the both of them. You cannot lock the country down without securing people’s livelihoods. Your fake concern for those with Covid is getting tiring. You cannot have compassion for those with Covid and no compassion for those being made homeless. It’s sick
@Cliff Burnby: not sure it is .. the “message” at the beginning was to avoid flooding the health system .. the message has always been to “delay the loss of life” never been to save lives .. proper social behaviour allied to comprehensive local test and trace COULD save lives (though no guarantees) .. that’s been a widespread view since March .. but 7 months on , the public servants have sat on their hands and now the suggestion is to repeat what didn’t work last time .. and just to be clear , the fact that there is talk of stage 5 lock down exhibits perfectly that the initial lock down did NOT fix anything
@Cliff Burnby: Sorry don’t believe a word you say being perfectly honest. Seen you talking some level of shite through out all of this and it’s killed me not to call you out on it. You literally said it’s okay to put families and children on the street to save people from Covid in another thread. You only care about yourself and yourself only. You say you have concern but in another thread you said it’s okay for children to be put in the streets to stop the Covid spread, some concern you have for children. If it’s not yours you don’t care.
@Aaron: Statistics prove that there is usually a major recession every 18 year’s. The normal cause of these recession’s are War, Terrorism, Asset accumulation speculation. It could be argued that the economy goes to Sh!te every 18 year’s and pension pot’s, job’s and property are lost on quiet a regular basis. However, this blinkered approach of the economy is the only thing that matters is materialistic/speculative by nature in pursuit of €’s. If the people around you that you care about die from Covid how many €’s will make you feel better?
@David Hammett: So we change nothing and just let the numbers increase exponentially? Is that your suggestion ? When you say the initial lockdown didn’t work do you not accept many lives were saved by it ?
@Aaron: I said I was done talking with you but I’m going to respond now as you are now making up all sorts of stuff that I supposedly said. Kindly point out where I mentioned I was ok with kids being put out on the street or anything remotely like that.
I’m not arguing with you any longer, I’ve no time for fòols who think they no more than the medical experts. You’re a chef for God’s sake, go chop an onion up or whatever it is you are good at.
@Cliff Burnby: but as it stands not that many people are dying so surely any decisions made from here on in need to be taken with this in mind. We need to deal with the exact reason that case numbers are shooting back up and not take the blunderbus approach. All lockdowns do is slow down the spread, they dont stop it so another lockdown is only kicking the can down the road. I don’t know what the answer is to all of this but imo another lockdown would be a disaster for all of the country. For what it’s worth if i contracted covid the outcome would not be good for me. All of our focus should be on following existing guidelines, if all of the country was doing that then maybe we wouldnt be in such a mess.
@Derek Lyster: The problem as I see it is we have brought this on ourselves. We have been asked to follow guidelines and a minority have ignored them. You only need to look at the comments on here to realise the stùpidity and selfishness of people.
“Yesterday, the Department of Health confirmed 614 new cases of the virus here.” -positive PCR swabs at a CT of 45 – not cases – any first year medical student would be failed if they called a positive cotton bud swab a “case” without a proper examination.
@Declan McArdle: I have heard this but I don’t know if its true that the swab test cannot distinguish between corona viruses have you any insight into this
@Michael McGrath: I read that the test does not differentiate between live virus and dead virus, so you may be well over COVID but have some dead virus in your nose and throat, which will then give a positive test result.
Your a joke NPHET and Dr Tony. Ruining the country
@Thomas Galvin: you’re embarrassing. In all honesty what would know about virology and the control of a pandemic? Take a long hard think about yourself.
@The Guy is Here: They watched some conspiracy theory video funded by the Russians and are now convinced they have insights into this that ‘the sheep’ don’t.
@Ahya: ye might even say they are ‘woke’
@Thomas Galvin: Absolutely. They’re destroying the country. No other country in Europe is panicking and completely over reacting like Ireland is. People saying goodie!! Our saviour Tony the Tiger is back to make cases drop to nothing. He’s just going to be coming on everyday reading the same transcript that he was before and that drip Glynn before him. There’s going to be nothing left of the country when they’re finished. No businesses. No society. No economy. Nothing.
@The Guy is Here: I might ask you the same question?
@Ahya: where’s the Russian misinformation campaign? I missed it – or is it just the usual anti Russian racism?
@Robert Clifford: I have a PhD in epigenetics so while the I’m no virologist, my understanding of the complexities of pandemics and it’s structural impact is some what present. Any how, if I’m not educated by a conspiracy video on Facebook, then my knowledge must be redundant.
@The Guy is Here: epigenetics , how does that knowledge transfer to pandemics ? genuine question , as I know very little about epigenetic (something about the passing down of the genes even before you are born is my very limited knowledge of this )
@Robert Clifford: dead right, medical people should be kept well away from decisions that impact the economy, they have no comprehension of who picks up the tab, you only have to look at the runaway train that is the Health budget to see what happens when they influence finances
@Ahya: cop on to yourself. Nphet has been challenged and they don’t like it. Now they’re digging their heels in with their “conspiracy” theory. Dr Feeley challenged them so HSE sacked him and not todays stunt released to the media before consulting government?? Nphet should be sacked.
https://m.independent.ie/world-news/coronavirus/i-lost-my-job-for-speaking-out-but-i-have-no-regrets-dr-martin-feeley-on-his-coronavirus-views-39585808.htmlp
@Ahya: Give it a rest.
zero deaths today and they are talking about absolutely completely and utterly destroying our economy. This is not the right decision. We need to tell nphet where to stick it…..
@Gavin Conran: How many are dying of cancer and suicide every day Gavin.
@Gavin Conran: how about the average deaths per day we had this day last year? People still die you know, especially old people, even without the coronavirus
@Gavin Conran: I think we would need to be seeing 50 plus deaths to even consider it, 1000 die on the roads every year yet dont think I seen u out protesting to get rid of roads and cars, people die, it’s a sad inescapable fact of life…..
@Gavin Conran: How many die on the roads every year Gavin? We dont close them down to save lives because the overall impact to society would be worse. Same situation here
@Anna Carr: “the sooner we comply, the sooner we’ll be rid of this”
We all want to believe this but it is unlikely.
It’s more likely that we are stuck with this virus much the same way we are stuck with flu every year.
The lockdown strategy is unsustainable and there’s no guarantee that it will achieve anything other then destroying people’s livelihoods.
We have now reached the point where our Government must tell these bunch of jokers called NPHET to take a hike. End of story. They are a laughing stock at this stage.
@Olivia Smith: Thanks Olivia. Glad you took the time to make your observation.
@Paul Potts: It’s fairly easy for Olivia to make that observation.
@Paul Potts: shes not wrong
@Paul Potts: why are they a laughing stock and who is laughing at them?
@Paul Potts: agree 110%
@Paul Potts: pity it wasn’t an intelligent one!!
@Gerard Smith: She is.
Just to ask here, does anyone in the comments know anyone who has died of Covid 19 or has had serious side effects.
@Alexandra Cullen: Yes to both.
@Alexandra Cullen: no
@Alexandra Cullen: yes, several people.
@Alexandra Cullen: yep both here as well,
Know a couple who botg got infected back in April, still aren’t right now.
Know of a person who ended up in ICU and while they were in ICU their mother died of covid.
Heartbreaking stuff
@Alexandra Cullen: yes I personally know a man in his 50s who was in ICU and I had an elderly nursing home resident uncle who died.
@Justin Gillespie: I’m sorry, I don’t mean to sound smart, but we just hear numbers every day , and smart comments but no real life experiences.
@Alexandra Cullen: that’s a no from me. And others won’t admit they don’t even know anyone who has had it, never mind died from it. They will just call you names for asking the question. Wore the tee shirt
@Alexandra Cullen: yes
@Alexandra Cullen: Yes i do. The people calling for the country to be opened up im assuming have not been personally impacted
@Trish O’Leary-Dunne: no and I don’t know anyone who’s had it. I’ve heard of a few friends of friends but no one I know directly.
@John Doyle: I’m just asking a genuine question, thankgod i dont know anyone who has had it or died from it, but you never hear about it only numbers and statistics.
@Trish O’Leary-Dunne: yes, died, 50s
@Alexandra Cullen: I don’t
@Decko49: Of course not – and if someone in their family does suffer from Covidz they will no doubt blame the government.
@John Doyle: people have answered the question and nobody has called Alexandra any names for asking the question.
@Alexandra Cullen: yes three deaths plus more infected, three of whom haven’t recovered completely yet.
@Alexandra Cullen: No, to both questions, I do not!
@Alexandra Cullen: Yes to both
Old family member who died
33 year old who died
2 who had it really bad (in their 40s), said it was the worst thing they ever tried, every breath like glass in your lungs. ( Their 3 kids had no symptoms )
And another 4 with little or no symptoms.
@Alexandra Cullen: No. I don’t know a single person who has tested positive and nobody I know knows anybody who has tested positive.
Yes unfortunately
@Alexandra Cullen:
I know a 45 year old woman who died from it 2 weeks ago. She had no underlying conditions. Ran the Dublin and London marathons last year.
@Alexandra Cullen: my aunt and grandmother-in- law both died from covid. My friend’s 17 year old nephew had it in april and still suffering huge side effects.
@Alexandra Cullen: no ….know of 10 people who had symptoms and isolated and recovered in less than a week
@Alexandra Cullen: no
@Alexandra Cullen: no deaths but a few with serious consequences
@Alexandra Cullen: yes x 3
@Alexandra Cullen: No from me, I know one person who knows one person who got it and had no symptoms. I absolutely believe it’s real but been handled so badly.
@Alexandra Cullen: Nope
@Alexandra Cullen: yes to both
@Alexandra Cullen: No. I asked the same question 3 months ago and got treated like I was Hitler.
@The Guy is Here: liar
@Alexandra Cullen: yes to both, unfortunately.
@Alexandra Cullen: I love the way most people don’t even know one person who has had this and yet you have them on here saying they know several who have died, what a load of bs.
@Alexandra Cullen: No
@Alexandra Cullen: yes, both.
@Alexandra Cullen: Not being smart either but just go on RIP.IE and count the funerals since lockdown started. It doesn’t matter whether those people died from covid or not, every single one of their family members and friends was affected. It is entirely irrelevant whether you knew any of them or not, do you think it’s all made up ? You must be either very young, a hermit or a loner if you haven’t even known one person who knew one person etc.
@Alexandra Cullen: Yes, albeit they are in Canada. Their mothers friend spread it to them in work and have been housebound since.
@Alexandra Cullen: no
Talk about a knee jerk reaction, Thursday they said no need to move from Levels 3 and 2, Tony comes back bang Level 5 everywhere. So much for the plan to live along side Covid
@Sean Dalton: agreed ducking mad decision. I’ve been on board with their previous decisions, followed all the rules, wore the mask but can’t agree this time. Our jobs are going to be gone and I’ve no idea how we’ll pay our bills and feed our kids.
@Sean Dalton: so what’s the point of the levels? These people only understand open or closed. What’s the aim? First lockdown was to flatten the curve, now they think that we should have zero covid which isn’t possible without 70% uptake of a successful vaccine. We have to learn to live with a certain level of infection. Hospitals are not currently overburdened with Covid patients.
I’ll socially distance, I’ll wash my hands, I’ll wear a mask, I’ll do all that’s common sense to allow us to live with this Virus. I’ve complied fully up to now. I WILL NOT abide by another lockdown. They can throw me in jail if they want. Time to make a stand.
@Paul Potts: same same brother
@Paul Potts: ditto!
@Gavin Conran: 10000
@Paul Potts: ditto
@Paul Potts: ditto
@Paul Potts: with you on this all the way. I’ve never broken the law in my life. Never seen the inside of a courtroom in my life. But I’ll go to jail before I’ll obey another lockdown.
@Gavin Conran: how many deaths from other communicable diseases of which there are many every year do you deem necessary to lockdown because Covid in Ireland is on the lower scale
@Paul Potts: Jail time it is!
@Paul Potts: same
@Paul Potts: Well said
@Gavin Conran: They don’t even recommend a lockdown. Children should still go to school.
The government has done nothing to improve healthcare during the initial lockdown and now NPHET is proposing a lockdown with children attending classes with 29 others.
Are you actually supporting it or just want to demonstrate how good you are?
Absolute Joke. Live out the rest of days in our back Garden.
@Donal Hogan: not in this bloody weather we won’t……..
Hoping they make the right decisions not just the previous decisions. Sincerely hope that the growing cases arising from school s reopening is addressed.
@Conor Flood: it’s not the schools
@Conor Flood: love the GAA and all sports but I can’t help but think that they all are contributing more to the infection rates than the schools.
Thousands of kids, teens and adults male and female plating every weekend with zero protection.
@Phil Keenan: Of course it’s the schools. You’d want to be delusional to think otherwise. Cases have gone through the roof since the end of August whence schools reopened.
@Phil Keenan: it is and its amazing how people keep denying because it doesn’t suit their narrative.
@Phil Keenan: of the 60000 kids from 4-18 tested for coronavirus since the opening of schools over 2000 have been positive. There are positive cases in all 4 secondary schools in my area. It is absolutely the schools causing increases in numbers.
Our overlord is back
@Kevin Davy: Dictator of a totalitarian regieme
until theres a vaccine , covid is here to stay , we can run but not hide .
there s 2 many experts , that just guess and wants more gravy
@Patrick Dowd: there may never be a working vaccine. The plan cant be to solely rely on that.
@Mills: They will have vaccine candidates in December of 2020 if you bother to read up on it! Most are in the final stage of testing and quiet a few have already shown good results in earlier stages of testing. It’s easy do a Google search…..
@Daniel Kelly: Yes but how effective will the vaccine(s) be? The flu vaccine is never 100% effective, it’s usually in the range of 50 – 60% effective.
What good is that when we’re talking about a virus that is very dangerous for anyone over 65? Would you take it?
I bet they won’t shut airports or ports while we are all in jail effectively.
@Phil Keenan: Phil I work in an airport…. There are a max of 40 people on flights….. Get this stupid thought out of your thick skull…. The virus isint coming from airports or ports. Its coming form parties, schools and general social scenes being opened. Travel isint the cause here… Its actually the only industry left that hasn’t been addressed or aided by the government yet. The problem is the Irish people here in state now…. Not the folk coming in. Wake up and be a bit more insular and not as narrow minded and blame foreign travel.
@CMT: the Irish ferries MV epsilon left Dublin yesterday for Cherbourg and they doubled up freight drivers in cabin’s without any choice for the drivers. Now that works both ways as the ferry would have left Cherbourg today for Dublin with the same option for freight driver’s. You may need to rethink your comment.
@CMT: You’re missing the point. We had covid almost down to zero before but when there are no controls on people entering the country its impossible to suppress it no matter how long of a lockdown we do. People then see that and think ‘Whats the point?’. Only takes a few cases for the whole thing to balloon again in no time
@Frank Scanlon: if that’s the case then Frank let’s close until there is a vaccination until 2024 at least. In the meantime we can all become serfs and live off the land. Doesn’t work like that I’m afraid.
@Phil Keenan: yep bet not either…it’s a farce
@CMT: well I don’t think it’s exactly helping
@Frank Scanlon: you never had Covid anywhere near zero.
@CMT: and just to add .. no industry or situation is to blame.. it the behaviours, controls and the dillagence of the people in each and every situation and interaction that do . For what it’s worth travel (bus, tram, train, plane) are probably the safest out of all.. as the processes and controls (along with adherence) are far better than any supermarket I’ve had to visit
Thats my job gone and me emigrating
Cheers Tony
Pr**k
@Luke: where you going? Bring me with you
@Alexandra Cullen: anywhere but here sounds good
@Luke: I can think of firmer words – how I really feel about doctors – all of them who support removing my freedom
@Tony Humphreys: it’s a farce a joke and beyond
@Luke: Where to Ballaghaderreen
@Luke: the rest of the world is f%#*ed too…….you may emigrate to Antarctica and become an ice cube maker…..
@Alexandra Cullen: Sweden sounds good.
@Barry Evans: sounds a plan
@Luke: bring plenty of vodka with you, put the ice cubes to good use ;-)
Keeping the schools open is madness.
@Clare Cassidy: it’s not the schools. It’s muppets having parties
@Phil Keenan: It’s 100% the schools, the spread accelerated rapidly when they opened and it makes sense considering how overcrowded our classrooms are.
The house parties is just a silly scapegoat that government likes to direct blame towards.
@Rochelle: and of course you have extensive scientific data and contact tracing to back up your assertions?? 100% of all cases since August is due to schools and not idiots hugging it out at parties and protesting on Grafton Street? Where can I download your findings?
@Rochelle: the increase started when masks were made compulsory in shops
@Clare Cassidy: schools will be kept open so frontline workers can go to work.
Professor Dalores Cahill was, up until Covid, one of the best scientists we had. Doctorate in immunology, head of Biology, highly published, highly awarded and sought after, what she doesn’t know about immunology you could write on a fingernail. Check out this CV.
https://people.ucd.ie/dolores.cahill
She doesn’t agree on the government’s approach and has been asked to step down. The difference between the two is Cahill shows her workings, the government don’t. Please take an hour and listen to what this woman is saying
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RY6NiavVp0E
In short, most tests are exaggerating the cases by including all corona viruses (including many colds and flus), hence spiking heavily now but also if you jump from a building with Covid it’s Covid that kills you. So we have exaggerated cases and deaths. Not saying deaths are not happening, and Covid is virulent, but bad flu seasons also clog ICU’s.
She explains the natural cycle of corona viruses, that we shouldn’t be afraid, urges calm. Above all Cahill’s modus operandi is for early intervention. This means better nutrition, including vitamins C, D3 and zinc to boost your immune system, less meds. What she recommends (and she explains why hydroxychloroquin is still very much on the table) has little to no side effects, is cheap, reduces illness, drug need and likely death.
You have to be very old WITH underlying conditions or else desperately sick and inflamed to suffer this disease and the treatments are now far better than 6mths ago. But all we get is terror instead of real balls out policy. Free vitamins, zinc and echinacea sent to houses and multiply the cost of sugary food and drinks by 10. But what do we get? Give no more than 3 crisps per week to your child or one biscuit.
And you wonder why people are on the streets.
@Pete Byrne:
I know a perfectly healthy 45 year old woman who died from the virus 2 weeks ago. Spent the previous 10 days in ICU.
She ran both Dublin and London marathons last year.
So away with your nonsense and being Dolores Cahill with you
@Pete Byrne: Pete I don’t agree with this second lockdown it’s absolutely insane, but don’t come on here trying to recruit people into Dolores and Gemma’s conspiracy theory muck. Leave it out.
@dublinguide.ie: Name and details or we don’t believe you.
@dublinguide.ie: I know a man who drunk himself to death. Bring in prohibition! One case doesn’t make a statistic
Time for the government to start governing and say a polite ‘thanks, but no’ to NPHET.
Putting the country into lockdown but leaving schools open won’t stop the spread of COVID. It’s rampant in many schools across the country
Everything has opened. Cases rise. That is to be expected because people are closer. Who would have thought? As long as deaths are low, why is there such a panic. I believe and it’s probably true, because our health system is so shite, the decisions are made on the basis of keeping hospitals quiet. Other countries now accept a relative number of cases. Ireland want a zero covid like…………….maybe a country with control of borders
@Alan Kenny: If people acted responsibly I don’t think there would be a need for restrictions. Yes cases would rise but not as much as it would if 50+ people were at a gathering not wearing masks.
We were given the chance to act responsibly, it didn’t work so now we need to be treated like children.
That being said I don’t think it’s fair on businesses who are acting responsibly. There needs to be a middle ground where social gatherings are prohibited but allowing businesses to remain open.
@Alan Kenny: Our health system so shite you say, compared to where ? I hope you don’t get sick in UK, USA or eastern Europe anytime soon.
How can level 5 still leave schools open? I don’t get it. But government shouldn’t defy NPHET. That would be catastrophic.
Ignore NPHET please.
@Cookie: Muppet
He’s only back and throwing his weight around. A bloody lockdown is not going to solve the problem. Suppress it maybe but they will just rise again. The country and economy cannot cope with it either. Its time we realised we have to live along side covid and adhere to the regulations. School situation needs to be looked at a continuous rise since they opened. Mid term is shortly they should close the schools and colleges for month of October. Colleges can learn remotely do the same for 5th and 6th years. The rest won’t suffer.
And at level 5 the Schools still stay open!
From the Covid 19 hub:
16 Aug – Cases in Hospital 16
17 Aug to 04 Oct – Admissions 256
17 Aug to 04 Oct – Discharges 205
This should mean that there are 67 Covid cases in hospitals in the country.
Yet NPHET say that there are 134 cases in hospital, more than double.
Another example if the lies that they are telling to the people of Ireland.
@Garry Coll: why would NPHET lie about the number of cases in hospital? At the moment the app states that there are 134 confirmed cases in hospital and 21 in ICU. What more do you need to know?
@GrumpyAulFella: that’s 134 cases in hospital and 21cases in ICU with Covid, it doesn’t say how many are there because of Covid!
@Derdaly: or if they are asymptomatic.
@Declan: they wouldn’t be asymptomatic and in ICU?
@Garry Coll: If you look at : Covid-19 daily operations updates you get a more comprehensive picture.Latest updated at 8pm today.
:141 confirmed Covid-19 cases admitted across 29 acute sites:141
:21 confirmed Covid-19 cases in ICU with 6 ventilated
There are just 39 available adult critical care beds.
There are just 7 available Paeds critical care beds.
What you didn’t take into account are the numbers of suspected Covid-19 cases in hospitals and ICU’S awaiting tests:
There are 15 suspected Covid-19 cases in ICU with 6 also ventilated
There’s also a chart with : Total Confirmed Covid-19 cases at 8am,2pm&8pm
: Total Confirmed Covid-19 cases(Past 24hours)
:Current Number of Covid-19 Suspected Cases
There’s no lies being told!There is significant substantial information on :
: Coronavirus daily operations updates-HSE
: Epidemiology of Covid-19 daily reports-Health Protection Surveillance Centre
:14 day Epidemiology of Covid-19 reports-Health Protection Surveillance Centre
Both HPSC &HSE ,etc provide data to Ireland’s Covid-19 Data Hub.
Lock down, put everyone out of a job and bankrupt the country already. All this yoyoing between these levels is a joke. Will any of these people at the round table be out of a job. Didn’t think so.
The first lockdown gave us 3 months of low cases, it’s probably the smartest option to get us and our hospitals through the winter. We’re headed for a catastrophe by November on the current trajectory.
@Rochelle: were also heading for bankruptcy, poverty
@Tony Humphreys: People don’t care about that. They will gleefully sacrifice families to the streets to stop COVID
@Tony Humphreys: 100%
@Cliff Burnby: Families on streets can be helped? Before COVID we had 10k people on the street that got no help. You’re not very smart. You just admitted you’re happy to sacrifice children to the streets to stop COVID. You know people are dying of lots of other communicable diseases also right?
Had enough of this lockdown stuff. Take precautions, wear face masks, sanitize hands, those in high risk categories resticting contacts, etc. but please no more lockdown.
We’re supposed to be “living with Covid”, being stuck at home with nothing to do is not living and I can’t take more of it.
It would be one thing if we could do a total lockdown, get to zero and impose quarantine on those coming in to the country so as we don’t import it but that’s not going to happen with travel from within the UK meaning anyone can go via NI to ROI and the EU freedom of movement. Even if we did try to impose quarantine on people coming in I wouldn’t be sure our country has the resources to police it.
All of this to me just points to lockdowns being pointless cause we cant do it right and so we just need to let people get on with their lives. Personal choice has to come in to play, if people want to take the risk of being in contact with others then so be it, we don’t ban people jumping of cliff in wing suits, scuba diving or whatever else despite it being dangerous because it their choice to do these things.
/End rant
We all want to ‘beat’ the virus but at what cost?? Another nationwide lockdown will kill what’s left of the economy.
@Thomas Ryan: Statistics prove that there is usually a major recession every 18 year’s. The normal cause of these recession’s are War, Terrorism, Asset accumulation speculation. It could be argued that the economy goes to Sh!te every 18 year’s and pension pot’s, job’s and property are lost on quiet a regular basis. However, this blinkered approach of the economy is the only thing that matters is materialistic/speculative by nature in pursuit of €’s. If the people around you that you care about die from Covid how many €’s will make you feel better?
@Cliff Burnby:
@Cliff Burnby:
@Cliff Burnby:
@Cliff Burnby: @Cliff Burnby:
@Cliff Burnby: @Cliff Burnby:
@Cliff Burnby:
@Cliff Burnby:
@Cliff Burnby:
@Cliff Burnby:
@Thomas Ryan: @Cliff Burnby:
@Thomas Ryan: @Cliff Burnby:
Great. The consultants will officially break the country
They’d want to shut down the meat plants and direct provision centers first, ah shur, too many high ranking politicians are tied up with those so the rest of us will have to take the hit instead.
Every eejit across the country wearing faceshields instead of a mask “because it’s easier to breathe”. Crazy that anyone could think that protects you or the people you meet.
You couldn’t make it up…
Tried that already, forget it!!protect the people at risk an move on
So if we go to level 5, only for 4 weeks? That’s nice. Sufficient time to inflict more damage on the economy and people’s lives. Unless we are being fed a pack of lies, the number of patients in ICU is currently 22. And we know there is more capacity. Government need to say NO. They are running the country, not some unelected individuals who – as I said before – will not have their livelihoods obliterated. We can do better enforcement – always wear a mask when one leave the house, stronger enforcement of gatherings. There are alternatives.
He is not back a day and the whole country is going into lockdown.
Bord na Róna
It’s only for a couple of weeks they said.. Wash your hands they said.. Keep your distance they said.. Wear your mask they said.. They are the same people who allowed the sick to lie and die on hospital trolleys in hospital corridors all over Ireland prior to Covid.. They are the same people who messed up the cervical cancer checks.. They are the same people that’s destroying the country whilst Sweden is back to ‘normal’
If the Government agree to this then it represents a declaration of war against the Irish nation to appease a tiny number of unelected bureaucrats and civil service spooks. Most of the casualties will be suicides (caused by economic ruin and social/cultural annihilation) which are already way in excess of the MINUSCULE numbers dying of Covid-19. The WANTED poster is being nailed by the Bureaucrats and Civil Servants to the pole and your face and ones you love are on it. Make no mistake here, you are being had.
Cork have had the second highest rate of infection, how come they aren’t been locked down?
What’s the point locking down the country and keeping us all at home if the ports and airports are still hemorrhaging people into the country from god knows where. And you’ll still get the “sure it’s only a cold ” crew who won’t follow guidelines. So unless it’s enforced a lock down isn’t worth the paper it’s written on.
Level 5 will not stop the house party’s
@Barry O Leary: Good point.
Will shops remain open in level 5?? I dont mean the likes of tescos and aldi. Dont understand why schools can stay open but university are closed even now
@Siobhan Rosemary: All non essential shops will close.
@Fabio Dillon: talk about bad timing, people already out rushing to get xmas shopping done in fear of a lockdown.
It demonstrates the state of the healthcare system in Ireland: about to collapse.
@Claude Saulnier: Wait until you see what it’s like when the economy that pays for it is gone.
@Col de Gal: The economy is more likely to continue through the next few months if we can reduce the transmission of the virus by following the public health advice and guidelines.This has been highlighted again and again but frankly some people ignoring the public health advice and guidelines are ensuring another lockdown needed.
Time for consequences for blatantly ignoring the public health advice and guidelines like they do in other countries!!
@Nuala Mc Namara: Says who? People are out of work and social welfare costs money.
The government couldn’t be arsed to put restrictions into law or prepare the country during the lockdown and this is the result.
Practically zero effort made to enforce current restrictions and here we are plotting level 5, economic suicide, grand for people who can work from home or who have huge unions to protect them but shag everyone else.
@Ray Prior: I’m self employed….if this happens its 3 families out of work…I won’t recover
Not going to happen…..
@Paul Lanigan: revolution!
Leave it another week lads so as to let me get my house finished so I can move in. Cheers
Lockdown fine for sure something needs to be done no one can deny that. But restore the PUP, extend the eviction ban and reinstate the mortgage breaks as all of these things were either removed (eviction ban and mortgage breaks) or slashed (PUP) in recent weeks. Otherwise people will lose their homes. Compassion and care is for everyone not just for those with COVID, this comments section would make you think otherwise
Schools should close. Level5 is incorrect.
Jayzus if they do a lockdown all they are gonna do is turn people on the fence against them. It’ll make the 1000 clowns on grafton Street into 10,000. And I might even join them unfortunately
Time to retire Dr Holohan asap
Nonsense. 1% of hospital beds being utilised for covid patients. Private Hospitals and City West on retainers. 98% of those positive cases in other countries are asymptomatic, isolate in home for ten days, are retested twice and when clear are able to leave isolation and are considered recovered. There is no reason to think Ireland is different. No numbers for recovered in Ireland in weeks. This is unacceptable behaviour from NPHET. And is terrifying Irish citizens.
Cool, do L5… but don’t forget to freeze all social welfare payments and salaries of public servants to give a proper impression of the future of this country
This is bloody crazy, Waterford has had little or no cases over the past two weeks and yet we’re being lumped into the same phase as counties with high levels??? Where’s the logic???
@Michael MC Evoy: there is no logic
What a joke, we are in no way ‘’living with the Virus’’
@Tim Otoole: exactly .
The consequences of this recommendation if agreed to, will be dire economically and socially…backwards not the correct approach, open close open close ad nauseum…til the cows come home! Positive swabs are not cases! Cat and mouse antics from the powers that be in my opinion, take it all away then give it back in 4 weeks later and sheeple will consider how good of them!
They’re basing this on reported figures. Without stating how many total tests a day came back positive the figures literally have no meaning.
They’re not testing the same amount every day.
Shut down the NPHET !!!!! ✊✊
The key thinking underlying these level 5 recommendations revolves around the lack of appropriate hospital services due to the lack of investment by FF &FG over decades both manpower and hospital buildings. For this reason alone the restrictions make sense however unpalatable.
Why are sociologists and other social scientists still not involved in making these recommendations?
@Dr Pablo Rojas Coppari: Post-modernism. Shot themselves in the foot with that one. ;-) Only joking…
They can apply their level 5 to themselves & resign. The majority of people will not accept it nor will they be sacrificed because the government and the HSE played with the time we have them. Enough is enough.
Restaurants with staff wearing visors; some wet pubs with bar staff with no masks and no social distance space between the tables and nobody taking names of attendees. In same pubs people walking through to toilets with no masks on. People with no masks or social distancing congregating outside schools . Any wonder level 5? And back there again once restrictions change if this behavior continues as it has done. Very unfair on those who do comply including individuals, pubs, restaurants, airlines etc.
This while thing is starting to make me so angry… what do they want, put the whole country bar a few into poverty.. yes I know.. save lives etc.. but at the expense of what massive rise in suicide and health care failure due to lack if funds? People losing homes and jobs by the thousands? Yet they are allowing these crowds to demonstrate in crowds without masks etc and then we all have to pay the price for it? BS. Keep the economy growing and clamp down on people who flout the rules.
@Chimo Spinola: I understand, but please get our country rid of the virus, then, because it is what’s causing all the problems.
100 healthy people have died of Covid since February with median age of 84.
Dublin’s big numbers becomes the whole countries, I hope we do not go into level 5, people are becoming tired, mentally and emotionally. How many people are dying now from other health issues. Govt needs to be reasonable now, people need to wash their hands, wear a mask, sanatise. Do we open and close the economy, there needs to be medium found.
Older people will die of loneliness they won’t survive it
@Maura Lafford: I know old alcoholics who cannot stay out of pubs since they reopened. They were doing really well up to that point.
@Maura Lafford: You probably never met an elderly alcoholic. Their families have managed them very well. Brought them their daily alcohol to consume at home. Now pubs opened and they wont stay home. So there is way more to this than your simple statement.
Daft
Tony Holohan must be as out of touch as Gemma Doherty. Time for common sense
@Felim O’Rourke: What is it you do for a living yourself Felim?
@john smyth: retired and over 70. The old and vulnerable need some protection but not at the expense of the young who need employment and a life
Is NPHET still going to be around in 10 yrs time and are we still going to be floating in and out of lockdowns by then?
@Margaret Doyle: yes, but I guess all the centenarians will be hale and hearty
There wil be no level 5, they will instead compromise and go to level 4.
“Just think of millenniums multiplied by eons compounded by time without end. I’ve been around that long. But it’s only recently your affairs here have piqued my interest.”
@SB: Pleased to meet you…
Can anyone explain to me why need to prioritise school opening when everywhere else is shutting down and no mass gathering? Genuine question.
@Shengjie Xu: education I would say.
@Shengjie Xu: I always found it strange that keeping kids in school was the top priority. Surely keeping people in jobs so that they can feed and house their children is more important.
@Shengjie Xu: You’re maybe right there but the numbers will be off the charts of the go to 5 this week.
Fully stocked up on logs and coal jameson ..bring it m.f.s
Glad I didn’t sell the hair clippers I bought back in March !!
That is a criminal idea.
Of course they do. Our health system can’t cope because it’s got to many pencil pushers. 7 months down the line and we piss money away.
That’ll never happen! It’s only a threat! It’s like grounding a naughty child! Idle threats.
Better now than Christmas ….. but it’s soul destroying that all the hard work of all those who obeyed the rules .
@Mary Mc Carthy: Nah, they wreck Christmas too. They told you only 4 days back in April. They more you obey them the more sadistic they get. This is how psychopaths function.
@BeyondRoom313: Could they not let us have some restrictions lifted at christmas to say look we are so good we are letting you have your christmas then the normies will be like arnt they great there letting us have a christmas some sort of gaslighting.
@BeyondRoom313: There probably going to say ohh we need to this to save christmas thats how they will get the public onside even if the public dont want to do then youll get these crazy types saying stay at home save lives safe christmas.
The GOVERNMENT V NPHET . This is going to be a big call.
Dublin’s problem becomes the countries, I hope we donor go into level 5, people are becoming tired, mentally and emotionally. People need to be reasonable now, wash your hands, wear a mask. Do we open and close the economy, there needs to be medium.
Is it time to stock on toilet paper again?
This is all starting to make no sense whatsoever, does anybody know what there doing anymore, the news media & social network seem to be creating more problems then there fixing.
Nypet are losing the plot if we go to level 5 another load of businesses will close never to open again . This is a big turnaround from the statements last week which gave people hope by doing the right thing we were doing ok .
We need to learn some Lessons in Love and go to Level 42
Nearly got sick when I saw this
Npyet are losing the plot if we go to level 5 another load of businesses will close never to open again . This is a big turnaround from the statements last week which gave people hope by doing the right thing we were doing ok .
Level5 plus is what I recommend. That is level5 measures + school and colllege closures. I have recommended people listen to Prof Killeen. Crush this virus.
If we lock down for 7 to 8 weeks we will crush this virus and then we can open up everything, every pub, every nightclub, every restaurant, every wedding, every funeral, every concert venue and every sports event. We will be back to normal.
We and businesses will have the best Christmas ever. I think that would be a great outcome.
@Imagine !: The alternative a half-arsed, half open, half closed country with no hope for businesses and no future.
@Imagine !: That didn’t work in New Zealand and their closest other country is 4000 km away…
@Giovanni Giusti: It worked in Vietnam and Taiwan as well though.
@Giovanni Giusti: New Zealand is doing extremely well, actually.
Japan 128m people 1500 deaths, Ireland 4.5 m people 1800 deaths.
Ask the Japanese how to do things.
@Divad Nayr: Latvia is half the population of Ireland and nowhere near as wealthy but it has twice the amount of ICU beds per 100K population, 37 dead since start. Life in Riga is normal, no masks etc, no fear agenda. I know I was there all August and sorry I came back now.
@Divad Nayr: Pretty much any east Asian nation has done better than the equivalent in the EU, maybe with exceptions such as the Philippines. The people do whats asked of them and believe it or not that’s why their cases are low.
@PhoTangoIrl: yes I know that. Latvia has a very nice life. 98% indigenous people, no mass immigration. Great health system. No masks. Latvians here will have a functional Latvian home to return to. Ireland has allowed their country to be invaded, raped, destroyed. Now watch, we will be bankrupted, and sold off in bits. We Irish will be beggars and nomads.
The virus? A viris killing 0.005% of people who get it? This is NOT about a virus, it’s about taking all power, self sufficiency, rights, autonomy from Irish people. Latvia is looking GREAT.
Fire NPHET , free Ireland , the laughing stock of Europe , we keep doing stricter and stricter rules and the virus numbers keep going up,, the very definition of insanity, everything nphet has done has failed
Dublin only should apply. They knew that there was growing cases yet ignored it coz its the capital.
Too much money will be lost.
Voting for FF FG for 100 years has led us to this due to under funding the health service
Vote them out leave the Eu have a visa to work and stay here deport all the refugees and close or borders get a deal with the U.K. government so no borders on in Ireland
@Niall Moonan: there was me thinking level 5 lockdown is related to the 5g network. Did 5G not cause all this ?
@Niall Moonan: there was me thinking level 5 lockdown is related to the 5g network. Did 5G not cause all this ?
@Niall Moonan: there was me thinking level 5 lockdown is related to the 5g network. Did 5G not cause all this ?
@Niall Moonan: there was me thinking level 5 lockdown is related to the 5g network. Did 5G not cause all this ?
@Niall Moonan: there was me thinking level 5 lockdown is related to the 5g network. Did 5G not cause all this ?
@Niall Moonan: there was me thinking level 5 lockdown is related to the 5g network. Did 5G not cause all this ?
I do is reporting that country is moving to level three and pubs and restaurants are to close.
There is also an issue here of HSE’s previous seeming incompetence/ bureaucracy history ( PAC , inquiries, legal), and backside covering/ insecurities now in terms of blanket versus ” surgical” approach. A review ( not a political one) would be wise before the blind are possibly led down a blind alley. The HSE is a highly bureaucratic organisation, and such organisations have certain backside covering tendancies but the various organisational levels rather than ” surgically” addressing the issue!
Lockdown dosnt work it still comes back, protect the vulnerable and the economy. Fines for those not obeying the rules, and give gardai and shop owners the right to enforce these rules, in shops and transport staff told you can tell people to wear masks only gardai can.
I knew there’d be some blowback from United getting hammered 6-1 at home.
@Bernard Sweeney: Liverpool getting spanked was the final straw.
@Bernard Sweeney: <<< Civil Servant Job for Life Laughing at the Private Sector Animals Being Destroyed No Doubt…
@Dave Grant: <<< Civil Servant Job for Life Laughing at the Private Sector Animals Being Destroyed No Doubt…
@BeyondRoom313:
1. It’s a joke ffs, turn your offended meter down a bit, Christ.
2. You sound very bitter.
3. I’m not laughing at anyone, if you think you know me then you’ll know why I don’t want level 5 too.
4. If you don’t know me, stop trying to cause trouble.
@BeyondRoom313: I see you got 24 likes for making a totally unsubstantiated claim about me. Well done. 24 more people that see the words Civil Servant (which I’m not) and just get all offended. I’m not laughing at anyone.
Went for A meal in A bar and Restaurant on the West Coast Bar Area full of people drinking and Standing by the Bar Where is the Law
What about retail and hairdressers/barbers and construction? And does ‘school’ count for 3rd level too? Is there a list of what is now considered as an essential worker?
@Daniel Murray: none of those bar food retail are considered essential.
@Daniel Murray: it will be the same essential retail as March. Food shops, pharmacies, office supplies……hairdressers and barbers will be closed.
What does this mean for construction? More specifically one off houses…..
Why do we even wear masks. Gov has reached the lowest point
Moving to level 5 would be a disgrace dr Tony should never have come back
This could be the end for Happy Gilmore…
Nhypet are losing the plot if we go to level 5 another load of businesses will close never to open again . This is a big turnaround from the statements last week which gave people hope by doing the right thing we were doing ok .
If our spineless, gutless leaders agree with NPHET, then there truly is no point in having a government.
I saying it for a while we need you faces in there, they take the easy option all the time. They are out of their depth tbh. Luke ONeill please stand up and take control here. As i said b4 if they in charge of road use in Ireland they ban all vehicles so good job no deaths, but also no economy, no life. They should resign as they are doing shocking job.
Whatever
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.” 7 months to build a capability to massively reduce any lock down requirements .. fail … Comprehensive , local , test and trace was always the solution – allied to proper social behaviours .. the first hasn’t happened so the 2nd weakens , so we fall back to the “once to buy us time” option .. absolute disgrace we’ve got to this point and the only plan is “rinse and repeat” ..beggers belief
Think I’ll go into hibernation till June wake me up when it’s over
Another few nails in the coffins of businesses, ffs last week they said they would restrict based on regions that were bad etc what was so wrong with that
Who leads this country some fake NPHET or government???
@Mislav Smok: what’s a fake nphet exactly?
@Mislav Smok: Commie
Create a parallel society instead of drinking in a bar drink at home instead of going to the gym exercise at home you can do anything in a parallel society.
113 in hospital for covid 19 21 in icu . Seriously what is wrong with nphet. Simply not the solution to lock country down as were only deferring the virus. We cant keep resorting to
This all time we have high case numbers it will simply ruin the country & i mean ruin it . If the house partying stops we might me in a better position.
Why are they using Tony’s photo?
@gary mullen: because the dictator is back and this is his recommendation.
@Franny Ando: only seen he was back today, didn’t think them lads work Sundays
@gary mullen: because Tony is back, and his timing is perfect, because this virus is out of control.
There are people out there running R rates of 50+. Sweden is not locked down nor is it fully open. But Paddy ain’t Swedish. The rest of us now must suffer.
We are tired. The virus is not.
@Maalouf: Yes.
NPHET……. Is this our government because it certainly seems so. Well paid doctors on full salary, no threat to their jobs and totally RISK-AVERSE. These guys have never had to make a decision that they may have to justify.
When will our so-called government actually start governing?
Might be a good idea to go on a 14 hour a day or more news media blackout concentrate on your inner self.
Shows how out of touch the government that surprise was expressed! More focus on health……
Its going to achieve the opposite of what they want. People are doing what they have been asked for the most part. And they will stop listening to Nphet and any of the Gov. Lev 5 is not the way to win people over.
Oh, and opt into the EU travel system now for gods sake….all countries are >25 now…travel still safe and accounts for a mere 2% of infections
Just wondering is there any link between anti maskers and right wing politics?
Uber Tony came back and said enuf; me gonna drop a level five on youse, and Ronan, on your bike.
When will people really wake up?
Level 5 only works if all borders closed. No one in or out including fruit pickers and elite tourists and business ppl. Rules same for everyone or pointless excercise. I am in entertainment Industry and our livelihood has been decimated but I would rather see one more month and then light at the end of the tunnel than another year of devastation
Sad…
Sorry Tony
You lost us
We do what you ask and it doesn’t work and it’s our fault.
Explain get buy in but panic crap doesn’t work
Watch these Ministers squirm when leadership is required.. we may need to reply on the Ministers who made the call back in March to get this one through
Doesn’t matter what level they call it because they are simply not enforcing it anyway! Even when the pubs were closed there were people in them for 12 hours a day as long as a pizza got thrown through the window and now schools are open with packed school buses and parents huddled together chatting at gates when dropping them off doesn’t matter what the level because there is no punishment for spitting in the face of Irish society FGG. Fraudster fools and golf gate
So if we shut up shop again all our rugby provinces will give walkovers to pro 14 and ireland won’t finish 6 nations or compete in Autumn nations??
@Phil Keenan: I think rugby is the least of our problems now sadly!!
@Phil Keenan: screw the rugby! I’m not going to have a job after another lockdown and I don’t know how I’ll feed my kid.
@Phil Keenan: ok Phil we know you like rugby …
No way , this is madness
if they do this then they need to bring in universal basic income at least for a year
Welcome back Tony
Sell the country off to the Chinese and let them do a proper lockdown for us
@Colin: I think they prefer Canadian Technology companies at the moment
We should do what China did. Track, trace and put every actual or suspected covid case in quarantine for 2 weeks.
Hold tough as we are and hope for the vaccine to come on board ,level 5 will break the country
Shut the world down for 4 weeks , kill anybody that ventures out And be done with it . Less deaths.
Close everything EXCEPT…..
Schools should be closed immediately! Virus is spread through schools
Anyone for golf?
Modelling has been wrong from the start.. Sweden which has less icu beds per 100,000 did not become over run.. They never locked down.. They have 3 times the at risk population (675,000 v 2million) of over 65′s and 3 times the deaths. Life there is normal again
I don’t understand, so cases have gone through the roof since September but school’s are to remain open? Ridiculous. close everything for a month and let cases numbers fall, then reopen and repeat until a vaccination is found. Its the only solution
looks like no all ireland now i was looking forward to the novelty of autumn/winter championship.
Great, so exactly the same is it is now for me, except can’t even get a decent meal on my day off.
It wont happen, we cant afford to have all these people out of work,plus the only reason the CORONA infection rate is up is there testing thousands more people than before
Wolf, wolf, wolf!
Good luck with this. Back in march Guards on the streets people doing what is right. Now its as if nothing is wrong. If you didnt have to wear a mask to enter a shop nobody cares.
Schools gaa supermarket, close everything else to stop this kids need an outlet
Guess who’s back ?
Tony is .
Welcome back Tony !!!
Now its time for the politicians such as Varadkar and Jim O’Callaghan to put their money where their mouth is and say ‘No’. If they retreat behind the platitudes of ‘public health’ and ‘in it together’, they will rightly be seen as cowardly spoofers.
NPHET’s strategy is not working, so the politicians must now show courage by calling time on it and demanding new alternatives.
With Martin in charge, its almost impossible to see an kind of spine emerging though, so it is up to those aforementioned politicians who have challenged NPHET.
Bull!!! NpHEt know that smoking causes cancer that then causes an increase in health services for treatment and ultimately deaths also.. So why aren’t they recommending a total ban on cigarette sales!?
If the government actually had a clue it wouldn’t be this bad!! Honestly, their first response of shutting schools and creches was first mistake, not shutting airports and ferries, was second (apart from trade and necessary travel, not tourists) third,.not opening pubs, at least if pubs were open then social distance and rules would of been monitored!! Instead the country went crazy with house parties, beach parties, street parties!! Alot more mistakes, journal is limiting my words, feel free to add though!!
This is madness. Govt should try enforcing the current levels rather than increasing them. The entire problem of where we are now is a result of non-enforcement by state agencies and police. On Saturday I was on the Dart and there were 3 traveler girls all made up for night out drinking on the Dart and no masks. No security and they breached travel restrictions going past the Shankill stop into Bray. Yesterday when a train stopped in Roscommon Irish Rail transferred all the passengers into taxis, 4 per taxi!!!!! Spineless Govt need to get real and enforce the regulations/guidelines. Fine people and if necessary take the money at source (Revenue / social welfare). This will never go away if Govt do not play their part, govern and enforce. We are in s**t until that happens.
@John McCann: Exactly. Closing the schools will have to happen, too.
So maybe put your so called ” Green List” in relation to your new infection rates compared to those in Germany. 17.5 in Germany and 375 in Monaghan. 80 average in Ireland
I recommend NPHET take a hike.
I blame the 5 G network. Surely 5G and level 5 lockdown has something in common.
Should lockdown for age 14 to 25 are problem as well need stop dole 18 to 25 age make them cant go party house/rave
At last- common sense prevails. A total lockdown is the only way to contain this deadly virus. Thank you NPHET!
Why keep schools open
.. Obviously kids hanging out are a vector
Tony should take some more time off
Finally. An article with more than 10 comments thay isn’t about the leader of another country. My faith in the readers of this rag is being restored a little.
Please let us begin with : fines for those found not following the recommendations whoever and wherever they are
If we poor people see that those who refuse any restrictions are heavily fined and brought to court we will be ready for more… But not at the moment,!
I think we are burning the forrest to kill the fox.
While NPHET can advise , my understanding is that we elected a government that should take that advise and use it in making a decision that also takes into account the other factors involved in this decision like the state of our economy and society . If they were concerned about hospitals being overrun why not built modular units that could have dealt with the extra load ? After all we knew flu season is coming . If we go back to lock down , is not just the economy that will crash, our society as whole will be damaged … just look at all the rage and blame being thrown around in the comments and this will permeate all levels of society… we are developing tunnel vision.. covid is not the only thing out there ..
It’s seems like the board of NPHET is comprised of people with autism fixated on numbers , completely removed from the reality of the situation.
Would hairdressers have to close
@Journal.ie – Is it relevant to use an old photo of Dr. Tony Holohan’s photo for this article which wasn’t even tonight? Give the poor man a break.
Level 5 is inevitable if some of society aren’t adhering to the guidelines. It’s either now or we will be deep in this by Christmas.
Would be make sense to seek to universally enforce the basic guidelines before coming to Level 5 restrictions? The impact on individuals, communities and society will be significant if we move to Level 5 now.
have your say