Coronavirus ROI/NI number 4

[eggandonion]

I don't believe it, would it ever go away!

@LadyEloise

@Jakey056 On another thread you suggested somebody wanting to get from a London airport to Ireland should fly to Belfast and then travel to the South. This was when the Irish Government/ Health Service was trying to prevent the spread of the new strain of Covid19 and flights were not allowed for a couple of days from the UK.

@LadyEloise I did indeed, to point out the absolute stupidity of a non joined up approach. It is easy but lazy to blame people in day to day life for 'breaking the rules' but how about radically challenging your view? How about asking why politicians wont work to ensure people on both sides of the border can have less cases? Or maybe ask why health systems are so poorly resourced that this virus is causing them to crash? Or why nursing homes and the poor are so much more disproportionately affected by lack of testing? Or why 2018 winters flu hospitalisations and deaths were higher than current cases and deaths of covid? Or why two thirds of cases are generating from care homes and hospital acquired clusters? Big questions but easier to blame the people on the street seeking some semblance of normality while they pick up a takeaway coffee and live on reduced wages. The Govt needs to own this and people like you help them get away with it by blaming your fellow citizens who are doing their best. Well done.

So now we’re getting emails from HTs on New Year’s Eve, with more updates expected tomorrow.

Peter Weir is an absolute bell end for leaving the decision on schools so late, and for taking it without any consultation with the teaching unions or, you know, actual school staff!

So far I have

• 1 at home for the whole of January (if not longer) but remote learning not starting until Tue instead of Mon.

• 2 at home for the first week and as far as the NAHT’s letter states remote learning won’t start until Wed, not Tue as expected. Back to in person school on 11th.

• 1 who MAY be in at some point this week, (but may not - who knows!) and will then be back in full time from 11th.

• And me - as support staff who has no idea when I now start back!

What a joy!

I am waiting for updates before I email my parents. My boss told me to wait even though we are in a school and can close.

We've nothing from either school yet! But one at home to the end of January.

Younger is in a special school so he can still go in.

What a mess it all is. I am gutted at how many principals, VPs and other SLT, I know who have had to work over the Christmas/New Year break - not to mention all the ordinary teachers who now have to plan for last minute changes - again! I have heard from all our schools, all 3 for DC and mine, but all but one of them have just sent a place marker email saying to please be patient and they will get more details out to parents (and staff) as soon as they can.

It’s a nonsense that staff heard this news at the same time as the public - you’d think Peter Weir would have at least had the decency to email Principals at least before making his announcement

Happy New Year everyone.

Happy New Year, everyone. Looking forward to brighter days ahead.

We seem to be beyond flattening the curve now, don't we.
I hope we can return to the big effort we had last April, and 2021 will bring better days for everyone.
Take care everybody!

Hi eggandonion, hopefully so. I hope people will pull together again.

Happy New Year everyone!

Trying to work out what additional measures dr Tony wants! 2km again? Close schools?

There isn't much else besides schools at this stage!

@eggandonion

Trying to work out what additional measures dr Tony wants! 2km again? Close schools?

I think they have lost control now. Its mitigation from here on in. All they can do is manage and add to ICU. Contact tracing has been poorly organised from day one so test, trace and isolate has never really started. Also interestingly I'm watching my older mothers cohort aged 75+ break all the rules, house visits, social calls etc. They dont really care so mych. Maybe they think they will die anyway? They dont realise infection control is their responsibility too. Her neighbours heading off to friends houses for lunch innthe next county facilitated I must add by daughters in law who are doing food. So yeah, we just habe to watch cases go up and up. We might reach herd immunity before all are vaccinated at this point.

Schools, playgrounds and childcare were closed in Spring. Is anything else left? Alcohol sales?
I totally agree about older people, I was working before Christmas and had to walk through groups of them having outdoor coffee, yelling at each other at the bus stop, or generally hanging out like teenagers. Add to that the parents wandering around shops with children playing in the aisles, not single parents who need to bring kids out.
We had to ask our local td to wait outside as we had too many customers at one point!

I live in a scenic area and just went out for a walk, but I turned around and came straight home as the area is heaving. No possibility of social distancing, huge queues for coffee and ice cream (and pints). We will have to go back to doing our daily walk at night.

It's mostly older people and young families. My teens and their friends have been so good, not seeing anyone at all.

After the HSE saying the virus is rampant, I don't know what more they can do to get people to act responsibly. I know people want 'a bit of normality' but they need to get real, these are not normal times.

@eggandonion
I agree. The older cohort is going to suffer more. I had to point out to my mother that she and all her friends shared 3 carers that come in daily and who also go to other people and their own families. Infection starts like that and it becomes a cluster. Meanwhile the rest of us have kids that are not in school. I dont know how Govt will manage this, probaly past managing.

News has started trickling in now in my circle of who has tested positive and who is panicking. (3 confirmed cases so far and 7 households in a head spin). The ban on tests for close contacts is scary too. I know of 2 essential workers living with a close contact - last week she could have tested positive, and they would have isolated. But the three of them could be asymptomatic and never know. Or if the first one develops symptoms, by the time she’d get a test and a result, they will have been at work for several days.

I won’t be popular for saying this but I’m glad the dc aren’t going back for another week. I was thinking of keeping them off anyway and it’s easier not to be entirely responsible for ds’ awful attendance. But huge sympathy for everyone struggling to juggle.

Childcare closed here now until the 11th except for full day care which is only open for essential workers. No ECCE.

There are a lot of mummies here going for a walk and takeaway coffee because outside doesn't count. And big groups of outdoor swimmers having post swim flasks of tea and a nice cake to share.
And my neighbour, whose whole family must be immune, provides childcare for numerous offspring. Other neighbours seem to manage without the usual family visits.

I'm in West Cork and we've hardly had any cases until now - I looked at the data hub earlier and we have loads in the past fortnight. But our local Supervalu is awful, no attempt to restrict numbers, bins of special offers blocking the aisles, so it's impossible to keep a distance from others. And people standing chatting - don't get me started ...

I think we are past control. Sorry to say.
Two friends went to uk for interviews before xmas, took a day off work, did interview, came back. Went back to work. Both healthcare workers. No isolation. Track and trace called one of them yesterday, 14 days after her date of travel to say the flight was a positive cluster. Too late. She should have isolated though. She works in ambulance service.
Another friends daughter had her bridal party down for hook up and fitting for wedding. She is clinical lead on a Covid ward with 8 of her team positive.
If these people are not doing it what chance do the rest of Ireland have!!!

Totally past control... We had a dusting of snow yesterday & all the kids on the road were out stomping around (& the parents too!) no social distancing...
Again today... Kids from at least 6 or 7 different houses all playing on the road... The same parents are the ones cribbing about the schools closing!!
What don't they understand about households not mixing!

God it really makes me cross when I read all these stories. I have been no where, done nothing for months now because I do not want to catch it. I have been going to the supermarket once a week but I'm going to switch to delivery now.

What planet are all these people on? It's so infuriating.

It's ridiculous, most kids on the road were out playing yesterday & today, all off now until the 11th.
We have a neighbourhood whatsapp group & the same parents were complaining about the schools not going back!!!!

I said no to my DD who wanted to go out and play on the green today. It really isn't on at this stage.