Coronavirus ROI/NI number 4

[eggandonion]

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

School summer holidays are very long in Ireland. You could take two weeks off that and everyone would still be getting a substantial break.

Plus eggandonion’s point above.

@TheKeatingFive

School summer holidays are very long in Ireland. You could take two weeks off that and everyone would still be getting a substantial break.

Plus eggandonion’s point above.

They are long but the holidays are unpaid. Teachers are only contracted to work school days but if they're on a permanent contract the salary gets spread out over the year.

I've no issue with working in the summer - would honestly prefer it to online in Jan tbqh - but if that's the case it means no online or keyworker provisions will be made during lockdown. I won't do extra days work for free. I suspect that many people would be unhappy about that.

I won't do extra days work for free. I suspect that many people would be unhappy about that.

I’m not proposing that, to be clear. If there is key worker provision now, it should be paid separately.

@TheKeatingFive

I won't do extra days work for free. I suspect that many people would be unhappy about that.

I’m not proposing that, to be clear. If there is key worker provision now, it should be paid separately.

Oh I know you're not proposing that - I thought your earlier suggestion of teachers being able to opt into paid keyworker care was good - but I think many people would expect teaching in summer and keyworker care during lockdown. I know at least some of the English teachers were providing free care over Easter and midterms last year and many people want the same from us in Ireland. Not a hope in hell I'm doing that, I'm afraid.

For me it's all about the rolling out of the vaccine. The slow, drip feed of when and where this will be available, is giving people anxiety.
The one they are using at the moment costs 20 euro per dose.

The one that's been admistered in the UK today is the Oxford vaccine, which thanks to Bill Gates costs 3 euro per dose and is easily admistered to more rural areas as the temperature is more stable, without the use of huge medical refrigerators overnight.

As usual this shitshow of a government who couldn't run a bath, fucked it up and wants to pay as little as possible for a vaccine. That's the only reason l could think off for the delay...

The Oxford vaccine has been preordered in Ireland. But has yet to be approved by the EMC.
The government knew this was going to happen, after they gave the green light to party hard over Christmas.

They are useless as always. Dragging their feet and putting out PR pieces to the media.
The Journal ie, seems to be their mouthpiece for the last 10 months.

WHY were provisions not put in place, they had 10 months from march to do this?

It should be 24 hours, 7 days a week ( like the rest of Europe) to get the vulnerable vaccinated.
Bring in the army and have community halls set up.
Israel and UK managed to do this.
1 millon in Israel given the vaccine in 1 week and the UK managed 600,000 in the first week

Like you all here, l'm angry and despondent about how this government has behaved, acted and tried to put the shocking growth of cases on the public.

I haven’t hugged my mum since March, l've being careful, like you here have.

Rant over.

And virtual hugs to people who are naturally going through a hard time now.

I heard someone suggest that vets could vaccinate people (I presume they'd opt into this). I'm fully on board with that! Just another kind of large animal after all

I also think that the school year could be restructured for this BUT holidays are not just about the number of days off. There’s also the mental aspect of knowing you have X amount of time off. 3 days+2 weeks+ 1week+ 10 days and being in a constant stare of tension and indecision is not a holiday. The dc need a proper break.

@SinnachRua lol, l think most people would be up for that now, my granny was a veterinarian who specialised in treatment for small animals i.e pets.
I always used to admire her, as Doctor you have to learn all about the one human body and everything that goes wrong but as a Vet you have to study all animals and what is going on with them too.

Not a diss to docs, they do a fine job.

Anyone see the Fianna Fáil leak?

I agree about the vaccine, I wrote to my TDs the other day. The stakes are so high, yet they seem unwilling to get up off their arse and focus.

They have the option of approving Oxford/AZ themselves if they don’t want to wait for the EU body.

I don’t think it’s cost that’s the issue, the main reason they bet the farm on AZ is that it’s much easier to roll out. But no point in ease if they won’t approve it.

What's that @Apileofballyhoo ?

The positivity rate is 55% in some test centres, when dc had to get a test early autumn it was 2%.

Not really sure, omelette, DH saw something on Twitter. It's supposed to have said schools closed till the end of the month but it was deleted from wherever it had appeared apparently. I saw something on that Covid updates Facebook page too but it didn't say where they were getting it from and didn't mention FF or anything.

Most indications suggest schools closed for the month.

Though we’ve just got word that nursery is open next week.

I think it's going to stay the same as it is now. Schools and ECCE closed. Full daycare open for essential workers only. Although I have heard from settings saying parents are sending kids in when they don't need to.

To me that's a management problem. I would be sending children home who didnt need the space and I would would be pointing the parents to the Government guidelines which says to keep child at home if you are not an essential worker.

Full daycare open for essential workers only.

That’s not what our nursery said

@TheKeatingFive are you in ROI because if you are the should've told you that, that's only if they opened though. Some creche's didnt have the staff to open and some deemed it not safe.

Yep I am. I mean from next week. She told us today, all crèche kids back.

Sam McConkey was on the radio, he said to get the numbers to manageable levels when we can start to open up takes 8-12 weeks. That brings us to mid March which will be a year since it all began.

@TheKeatingFive, oh okay. Well there will be an announcement tomorrow, we'll just have to wait and see. Another sleepless night for me. I am no good at waiting. I want to know now. I cant concentrate on anything. Dont even know what time the announcement is at.

Sam McConkey, always a ray of sunshine. 🙄

This waiting til tomorrow has parents run ragged . RIDICULOUS

You could cut the tension in my staff WhatsApp group with a knife. I've had to mute them, people are just sharing any article or Tweet they see. Not helpful for anyone's stress levels!

Same on a preschool facebook page I am on. Sharing articles, speculation, worry, stress. Everyone in a sort of limbo.

@SionnachRua

Re the schools, surely the obvious solution is to make up any missed weeks now by working through holidays later in the year?

This would be my preferred solution tbh. But (and this might sound money hungry but so be it) if that's the case I won't be doing any keyworker provision. It's either a holiday from work or it isn't. I imagine a lot of teachers might feel similar.

I totally agree with you. What happens when key worker kids are in. Is it revision or will new material be done with them. In the U. K it's just basically childcare with no new topics covered

Just wondering how te junior cert and leaving cert can go ahead as "normal" these children haven't just lost these few weeks. They are still trying to catch up with stuff they missed from last March. I know not all schools offered a good homeschooling services.

I wonder what time the announcement is at. At this stage we know what is going to happen but we need official word.