Northern Ireland: are you for or against the extension of the current restrictions?

[Whenismumhome]

Obviously as you all know about the chaos that Stormont caused last week, mainly for hospitality business owners and staff.

I know that the CMO has said that restrictions needed to be extended by 2 weeks or else there will be “excess deaths” but the DUP has gone against this and now they’ve all decided that this Friday hospitality will reopen along with hairdressing/beauty and other close contact services such as driving lessons, except for bars/pubs which will reopen the following Friday.

I’m kind of in between. I didn’t want the restrictions to be extended because

1. they said they would be for four weeks and four weeks only

2. it hasn’t really lowered the infection rate - we are still seeing positive cases in triple figures so what difference has this circuit breaker made?

3. we can’t keep locking down and businesses need to be open for the sake of people’s income and the economy

But the fact that the CMO has said that not extending them was a bad idea is making me feel a bit paranoid.

What do you all think?

@mrsfeatherbottom

I thought they were as they were meeting this afternoon. Maybe not

Just hadn’t heard anything, sorry hope you didn’t think I was doubting you.

I wish they would make An announcement ASAP so we know what’s next

Well, I have a hair appointment tomorrow morning so they better not announce really late that they can't open!!

@mrsfeatherbottom

Well, I have a hair appointment tomorrow morning so they better not announce really late that they can't open!!

Would be a nightmare!

Mine is on Tuesday, keeping my fingers crossed I’ll be able to go!

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@mrsfeatherbottom

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Honestly I give up. Absolute disgrace

I don’t understand why they are letting them open for a week and then doing a harsher lockdown. That means everyone will cram into the shops/pubs/hairdressers etc this week and spread the virus like fuck meaning the numbers will be even higher by the time they’re looking at the outcome of the next weeks lockdown. Why not just keep them closed now for two weeks?

Pubs are not opening. But yes shops will be bunged.

Maybe it’s just that it’s too late for them to change the legislation now to stop them opening tomorrow?

Shops will be busy this week, not sure that closing shops while keeping schools open will do much but we’ll see.

@hopeishere

Pubs are not opening. But yes shops will be bunged.

Oh well at least that something! The puns would have been chokka!

*pubs

Yes, I reckon it was too late to not let those opening tomorrow open.

After the clusterfuck of last week they didn’t dare announce no opening again so they had to give them something. So they have a week so as not t kick off. It’s so shit though. Grow a fucking spine the lot of you. Urgh.

That’s to the executive btw, not anyone here!

@Smallsteps88

That’s to the executive btw, not anyone here!

Ha ha - thought you were being unnecessarily aggressive there!!

Sorry! I realised that once I posted so had to clarify!

Does anyone else think they will extend these restrictions beyond two weeks?

They’ll probably allow a 2 week lifting of them for Xmas and then have another lockdown straight after.

@Smallsteps88

They’ll probably allow a 2 week lifting of them for Xmas and then have another lockdown straight after.

It’s so depressing. When will it ever end

I was laughing with my friend the other day (on the phone) about how when they first announced the schools would be shutting here in March we thought it might be for 2 or 3 weeks what fools we were! Here we are now 8 months later yo-yo-ing back and forth between restrictions.

Do these new restrictions allow service providers to still work. Just reading the list, states a stronger work from home needed.

Schools staying open, but colleges shutting?

@Smallsteps88

I was laughing with my friend the other day (on the phone) about how when they first announced the schools would be shutting here in March we thought it might be for 2 or 3 weeks what fools we were! Here we are now 8 months later yo-yo-ing back and forth between restrictions.

Oh I was the same!

I thought it would all be over by the end of June! How I wish it was over in June!

@Tootsey11

Do these new restrictions allow service providers to still work. Just reading the list, states a stronger work from home needed.

Schools staying open, but colleges shutting?

I think depends on the service so tradesmen can still go to your house. Cleaners can still come.

@Whenismumhome definitely needs to stay closed but maybe also an information campaign. I am over the border and went up north for a few days holidays during end summer and it was scary!!!! Few masks, no social distancing in restaurants or hotels, no social distancing outside. I wasn’t even remotely surprised to see the cases sky rocket in September. Levels of compliance so much lower than the south.

Also to protect the south need to keep the whole island closed - it makes no sense to not have a coordinated strategy. I could understand if north had tiny case levels but they’re way higher than the whole of the south yet saying oh yeah we can open up. It’s madness’

anyone happen to know if the PSNI will be patrolling the streets / stopping cars from next Friday to see if people are out for only essential reasons like it was back in March?

@Whenismumhome

anyone happen to know if the PSNI will be patrolling the streets / stopping cars from next Friday to see if people are out for only essential reasons like it was back in March?

My husband is in the police and says there's no plans to as yet, I will let you know if he hears otherwise