Coronavirus ROI/NI part 3

[YoungsterIwish]

The 3rd thread

www.mumsnet.com/Talk/craicnet/3874978-Coronavirus-in-ROI-NI-part-2?pg=40

Not really much difference going to level 3. Won't be so bad then. Will Dublin remain on 3 too? Kind of feels unfair as their numbers are much higher.

Dublin numbers are stabilising. Donegal has higher rates per 100,000, so they would be top of the list.

I expect the government would consider very carefully before moving Dublin to level 4 as the cost of shutting down non essential retail would be enormous. Plus the multi nationals are having huge trouble getting workers back to the country and the tax implications of that are problematic. So lots of reasons not to make the situation worse.

Never say never though. If they can contemplate level 5 they can certainly contemplate level 4.

@Lipz
Could you contact your TD or Joe Duffy's Liveline ( if you are in the Republic ) ?

You are trying to protect your vulnerable children. You shouldn't be getting hassle !!

Lipz are you for real? “Unfair” that people are being allowed to continue to make a living? This isn’t a playground you know.
The population of Dublin is also much higher, proportionally there are other counties at similar levels.
It’s not about what’s fair, or blame, it’s about what works best on balance to reduce spread and keep country functioning.

@Lipz

Not really much difference going to level 3. Won't be so bad then. Will Dublin remain on 3 too? Kind of feels unfair as their numbers are much higher.

Except that Dublin numbers are remaining broadly the same (just under a quarter of the total today I think?) while the rest of the country is catching up. Dublin has a higher population, of course it will have higher case numbers.

@LadyEloise

@Lipz Could you contact your TD or Joe Duffy's Liveline ( if you are in the Republic ) ?

You are trying to protect your vulnerable children. You shouldn't be getting hassle !!

I've contacted the local td haven't heard anything back 😕

Numbers today would certainly support level three throughout. Dublin numbers are lower than the country average taking population into account.

Also zero deaths.

@Lipz
I'd contact the TD again and other TDs in your constituency. Preferably one who loves publicity.

Also on the school letter thing, if it's the letter template I have seen used before it's a standard communication. Afaik all parents get the same as the school don't want to show bias in sending different pieces to different parents. So I was told by a past principal, anyway.

Wouldn't pay it any mind, TUSLA will have no interest/ staff availability (they can barely get around to handling the chronic cases in a normal year) and no doubt there will be a huge number of kids over 20 days this year.

On another note, a friend of mine was contacted by contact tracing the other day - she is a teacher, there was a case in her class. Tracing asked whether the child had been in school on x date, she said yes. They then asked for a photo of a corrected copybook or other proof that the child had actually been in!

She was very snappy with them I think. Said that if her Masters made her good enough to teach/manage viral risk in a pandemic, her Masters made her good enough to take the roll and tell the truth.

I couldn't get over it myself but maybe I am wrong...

Sinn Fein or socialist politicians tend to be good at shouting on your behalf!

Reading between the lines it seems like this was a power play by Tony Holohan. I wonder did he feel that the authority of the CMO has been eroded while he was away and he wanted to reassert it. If so it has backfired badly, I would have thought Leo would have been an ally of his, but even he has come out strongly against him now.

I get the impression that TH isn't used to people disagreeing with him.

.

Reading between the lines it seems like this was a power play by Tony Holohan

Absolutely. The more unfolds, the more surprised I am that he handled it so badly. Trying to box the government in like that was never going to go well.

Plus the lack of consideration for those that level 5 means loss of jobs/livelihoods, by leaking on a Sunday evening. Shocking behaviour really.

I don’t think the government could have reacted in any other way.

Just hoping they've made the right decision. Time will tell I guess. The news last night that we weren't going to level 5 came as a relief, of course, but tbh I'm still very worried about what will happen next. I think I'd have felt safer sending the kids to school at level 5 than 3 (house of asthmatics here). It's a relief people's livelihoods and the economy are protected for the moment though of course. It's down to us all now really to try and do our utmost to protect our society from the virus.

What a mess. I agree that it looks like a power play. I'm also relieved that it doesn't mean level 5 but people need to sit up and take notice. Our hospitals could easily be overwhelmed if numbers keep rising. It's bad in the normal course of the winter months.

I wonder could it be that the unpopular FF government thought it would be a good idea to threaten Level 5 and then appear to be strong and "with the people" by only going to Level 3 ?

Probably not, but you never know.
Politics is a dirty business.

Yes @LadyEloise. I'm suspicious about it as well.

No I don’t think so. It’s obvious Tony went rogue.

I just read reports of Leo’s interview with Claire Byrne (didn’t see it). I thought he put his position very clearly and strongly. He’s so much more impressive than Mehole.

Reading between the lines however, he makes it obvious that if we do go to level 4/5 the support packages will not be there and we’ll be looking at the region of half a million jobs lost. That’s very sobering.

Quite apart from the private sector impact, that will be catastrophic for public services and ultimately jobs there too.

Better hope it doesn’t come to that.

On a personal note, I hope Dr Tony is OK. I hope the decision works, In my heart it feels right but in my head it feels wrong.

I think it's also served as a wake up call to those who weren't taking level 3 in Dublin seriously, and hopefully now there will actually be enforcement of the rules.

hopefully now there will actually be enforcement of the rules.

I think this is key. It drives me mad that there’s such reluctance to enforce anything in Ireland. That the impetus (in this case) is to revert to much stricter measures rather than ensuring what’s already in place is followed.

Totally agree with the comment above by TheKeatingFive.
The government and NPHET had better get their act together fast. We're on dangerous ground if they continue these sorts of shenanigans.

Really hope the guards enforce this properly now, they haven’t to date.
Also think Tony went rogue. His views on the state of hospitals were not even aligned with the CEO of the HSE.
They all need to work together on it. No place for power play.

I live in a town with 20000 people and no full garda station. When open, it's full of people getting forms signed.

Similarly, eggandonion. Ours is around 15,000 and we have had a part-time garda station for a few years now.