To ignore BJ's COBRA advice to send kids to school whilst Rep of Ireland has closed schools for 2 weeks

[100percentSunshine]

Just interested to know how others feel....

We are all expecting the exponential growth of the Covid 19 to take place in the next 1- 2 weeks.

I was gobsmacked by today's news that following the COBRA meeting, BJ has resolved to keep schools open.

Is anyone considering keeping their child/ren off school despite government briefing?

Random - most countries ARE actually taking similar measures. Britain is the outlier here.

Jeepers I agree.

I really don't know who has the best approach. I can see the arguments on both sides.

But there does need to be some control as NI will have more cases (if the Irish measures work).

Jeepers to an extent. france have only just shut schools. They are further on in the crisis than the UK and definitely a lot further into the crisis than ROI.

Does Germany have a blanket ban on school closures yet?

The UK does seem to be limiting mass gatherings. Possibly easier now football has been cancelled.

I have read that Northern Italy in particular, not sure about the south has twice as many ICU beds per 100,000 than the UK and they are overwhelmed. In Ireland I believe we have 250 for the whole population.

Yes Britain is the only country taking the approach of just letting most people get it. We are a total outlier. I am surprised that some people are comfortable with this.

all I would say I am less comfortable with it as I was. But also don't think we can contain this anymore. So I do get the logic to delay it to give us more beds in summer months but not prolong it too much so it really impacts winter.

It's all one bloody big experiment, in other countries as well as this one.

According to my DC, many of their classmates will not be in school next week.

I think they'll end up keeping them open (for a while) to help working parents, but lots of the children will self isolate anyway.

I think other countries are going to have to ban travel into them from the UK if the UK persists in not taking any action while countries are trying to contain it.

TBH, there's not much reason for anyone to be touristing anywhere at the moment anyway. Nothing will be open really in other countries. The all important pubs are remaining open so far in Ireland. Max 100 people allowed in though. Doors closed after 100 people within a facility. Gardai (Irish police) are policing shops in case of looting (which hasn't happened yet). Also there for traffic enforcement. Army on standby.

I can only presume that when it's rife in the UK which is Boris' grand plan, most people will be too unwell to travel anywhere. Miserable travelling even with just a heavy cold.

That said, Boris doing a bit of a u-turn ala Trump today re large gatherings. Trump changed his tune in days. Boris may do similar. Or brazen it out - who knows with him!

Jeepers why close schools but not pubs?

One big thing I have a problem with - why did Leo speak when he did. Did he try and pressure the UK into doing the same by getting in there 1st - what time was it in USA when he spoke?

FFS, not everything is about you Britain!

He acted when he did based on the advice of our own experts and the WHO. The key thing, as reiterated repeatedly by the WHO, is speed. I think the first death here really focussed minds.

The Irish public are fully supportive of this. I'm not sure why there's an expectation that the British people would not be.

Totally agree @Sakura7. What childcare are people arranging in Ireland?

Crèches are closed. Of the families I know one or both parents have a job where they can work from home or they are alternating their days. I know not everyone has this luxury and I am sure there are lots of parents struggling at the moment.

And yes I do think we should have had a more joined up approach between countries.

How can you expect Ireland to have a joined up approach with a country that is taking an entirely contradictory (and downright reckless) approach to tackling this virus?

Do you think the UK should have consulted Ireland before taking their decisions? Or is that just a one way requirement?

FWIW, Ireland made it's announcement at a time when a lot of other countries in Europe were taking similar actions. We're not the outlier here.

No you’re not. Much respect to Leo and being half Irish myself I know where I’d rather be.

Sakura no I do not. I think both countries and others should talk together and get a consensus.

I know the UK is seen as the outlier. And I am not saying the UK approach is the right one.

But how does this play out long term? When countries so close to each other have completely different approaches.

Ireland made the announcement the day after WHO declared this outbreak as a pandemic. It was announced at s press conference on Thursday lunchtime. Very timely I believe. This was upgraded not only because there is now community transmission over 2 continents but also due to the inaction of some governments. It certainly focused the mind of our government in Ireland. WHO are providing guidance to all countries. Some are listening to this and some seem much slower to take action.

I wonder what Ireland plan to do in say four weeks time? Is the plan to keep the whole of Ireland on lockdown for months?

I don't know if what the UK government are doing is right - only time will tell I think. This is unprecedented and no one really knows what the right thing to do is. I can certainly see some benefits in what we are doing in the UK - try to control how many have it and at what time in the hope that we develop some immunity to it without overwhelming the NHS and without wrecking the economy, which does still need to exist during and after this crisis.

I'd be very interested to see how Ireland plan to handle this going forward.

what we are doing in the UK - try to control how many have it and at what time

Say what now?

China are now reporting single figures of new cases.
I am ASSUMING, that's what Ireland and EVERY OTHER COUNTRY is aiming for.

That's the point of what the UK are doing - trying to flatten the curve so that instead of a massive peak in a short space of time the idea is that people contract it at a slower pace and the peak happens in the summer when the NHS does not have the winter byrdens

FFS, you can't even buy arsewipes in Britain. They're hardly competent enough to control this. PMSL woops

burdens not byrdens