Unlocking Ireland - an unprecedented thread no. 6

[CherryValanc]

A sixth thread in Craicnet!!

Who thought that would ever happen!!? Has there even been a sixth page before?

I'm more relaxed too, 7, about shopping I mean, but I'm not mixing or anything. I just don't think it is a huge thing to nip out for bread, though dh was on to me that I'm at the shop everyday and did I know there was a pandemic. Maybe if some people remembered to say we'd run out of stuff when I'm going I wouldn't be going again the following day.

I remember in the early days being absolutely wracked with nerves going to the shop. I quite like it now though I mainly go when it's quiet in the evenings.

@7Days

Hopefully just a blip. I can totally see people relaxing the rules locally though. I've been hardcore myself all year but I dunno - since the anniversary passed and the schools went back I'm more inclined to just run up to the shop for bread and milk rather than wait for the delivery etc. So I'm probably part of the problem tbh

I doubt that the running to the shop is the problem unless you're stocking up on party supplies!

I find the waffling about "contact" and "movement" really annoying. I want to know what situations are problems. Is there spread from people walking in parks? Going shopping? Even meeting outdoors? Or are the problems from workplaces where people shouldn't be (or workplaces where they need to be)? Or are they parties, shebeens? Or is it the visiting of nana and grandad and playdates and small scale social events? I think if they identified clearly where the problems are coming from it makes it very easy for people to understand. Otherwise people are justifying what they're personally doing as "grand" or not risky.

It feels like people who have been sticking with the rules all along are still doing that but becoming really weary and maybe likely to start bending them in ways they feel are safe. People who have bent the rules or interpreted them to suit themselves all along are still doing that. At this stage it feels like the worst and longest "whole class punishment" ever.

I admit to going to shops more when figures are low around me, I find online shopping difficult as I'm not used to it. And always want whatever isn't available. I try to limit trips though.
I'm convinced wakes are an issue, are coffins still being brought to private houses? Funeral directors are very good and limit visitors, I'm sure big churches could safely hold more people. But funerals are a time for close contact. That's a reality, but desperately sad.

At this stage it feels like the longest whole class punishment ever.
This.
I know of people who were at parties , travelled across many counties to see family, allow play dates with other children that are not even in the same class, attend funeral wakes in houses...
the list is endless.
We live fairly rurally and haven't broken any rules such as those mentioned above and yet others around us are.
The guards aren't very visible at checkpoints-it's like there's no deterrent to people taking chances lately especially since the evenings got brighter. * *
I even think people are congregating too closely outside - as they're crammed into any nice space outside in their 5k radius. This must be speeding the virus as well.
And we have thousands arriving into the country from countries that have mutations of the virus and they are able to travel freely to their destination
The orals are to take place in the same room without any masks?! Madness. These could be done safely online surely.
I don't think opening the schools was a good idea either. I think they should have left them closed from March 1st to Easter holidays to see if that would drive numbers down before allowing them back from April 12th onwards.
It's a mess. I'm weary of it all. I've no solutions either. I really hope the vaccinations start to ramp up because right now they seem to be our only hope. Well best of a bad lot really.

I was in the shop just now and I heard a youngish fellow inviting someone over for a drink, 'no more than two other couples, more than welcome to stay...'. wtf.
I think the last time we had anyone in our home must have been in December 2019.
The mind boggles.

I thought that about the schools too, half. Just leave it till after Easter. People will be worse now about playdates and meeting up "because the kids are in school all day together anyway".

We should definitely be told where these numbers are coming from, 3times. I wonder when people test positive do they just say they have no idea where they could have caught it and the only place they've been is the supermarket? And then not give a list of close contacts, because they've said they don't have any basically.

I saw a fair amount of beer being bought by individuals for St Patrick's Day, more than you'd think a family could get through. The only other things I know about are playdates and sleep overs, gangs of teens I see hanging out when I'm out walking, and children and grandchildren visiting neighbours. I missed the window to see my DM at Christmas because I thought it would be safer if DS had been out of school for a fortnight before we went, but obviously some people don't think it's a risk.

We should definitely be told where these numbers are coming from, 3times. I wonder when people test positive do they just say they have no idea where they could have caught it and the only place they've been is the supermarket? And then not give a list of close contacts, because they've said they don't have any basically.

I don't think they ask or look at where it was caught because they've never had the manpower as the numbers have been too high. So they only look at who you might have given it to which means only looking at the 24/48 hours beforehand whereas to see where you got it you'd have to go back about 6 days. It is one of the major criticisms of the contact tracing.

Ah that makes sense now, though I'd imagine people lie about wherever they've been in the past 48 hours too.

In the case of asymptomatic cases who test positive, the contact tracers consider only the 24 hours before testing as 'the infectious period' Apileofballyhoo. It seems a very short time frame. I can understand the '48 hours before symptoms develop' for symptomatic cases, as this is when you'd be infectious. But 24 hours for asymptomatic, but positive, cases makes no sense to me. Someone I know was at a get together recently (I know), in a room with a bunch of adults for several hours. One of them (asymptomatic) tested positive a couple of days later - they were tested as a close contact of another positive case. Because they were asymptomatic no one else at the party was deemed a close contact as it was outside the 24 hour time frame. Seems a bit risky as an approach.

I think they need to give us concrete examples of what community transmission means. Is a weekly shop ok, wearing a mask etc. Is sitting outside a coffee van with six others for an hour a bad idea? Should coffins not be carried by family members?
I think we do need to be micromanage now, as I can't imagine what I am doing wrong. But I'm questioning myself.

I have to admit I am a bit lax about shopping now that I am back at work. I pop in to the shop on my way home for bits.
On Saturday I got up early and wandered around several different shops browsing like the olden days. It was just around opening time so shops were practically empty. It felt so good though. That was my plan, up early, walk around the shops because I knew that was quiet time, come home. I mean I did my food shop too. I didn't just go shopping for the sake of it. remember when you did that though. You were fed up so you'd go out for the day browsing shops, maybe not even buying anything.

Aldi middle aisle is the only place I get to browse these days!

I try to steer clear of Aldi. Way too busy for me no matter what time I go at. Although I did buy a door wreath in there on Thursday/Friday after work.

I like Aldi for the simple reason that there is not much choice! As in, only one brand for each item so no trying to decide which one to get. Lots of Irish produce too.

It's in and out quickly with v little dawdling. I'm terrible for browsing and getting side tracked so now I just try to get in and get out. The mask helps to speed me up as I hate wearing them!

I just read back over my last post - the one before Aldi..
Hope I didn't come across as too moany or full of doom and gloom!
Wasn't my intention, I think there doesn't seem to be much light at the end of the tunnel lately or if there is it's the light of an oncoming train

Half, the train light made me laugh. It does seem never bloody ending. My Aldi tip is going at about half 6 or 7 in the evening, it's fairly quiet then. Though not on Fridays for some reason. I've been buying the same stuff week in week out since the first lockdown so it doesn't seem to take me very long. My other choice is supervalu and it's a small one so I don't get much in there, just certain stuff we like. I didn't go to Aldi at all in the first lockdown because it didn't feel safe. Queues to get in, no way of cleaning the trolleys and mayhem inside. It's fine now though.

I could go to Dunnes, Lidl and Tesco, and a nicer supervalu too, if I drive a bit but I just couldn't be arsed and also feel it's more of a risk (bigger towns, busier), though that's probably completely irrational. Went at Christmas all right to pick up various treats.

@*3timeslucky
"......it feels like the worst and longest whole class punishment ever."
*
Great description of the lockdown !

It's one great big long detention!

Listening to the hotel quarantine set up with slight envy. Two or three days in a hotel, looking at a different view, food delivery to my room. Twelve days is a bit long, but today is bin day and that's getting boring.

Fintan O'Toole has a good article this morning about 'community transmission'. He quotes Prof Anthony Staines who says that community transmission is just a socially acceptable way of saying we have absolutely no idea where the infection came from.

Such a good way of putting it. How depressing.

The situation is becoming so, so frustrating. I live in a busy suburb, this time last year it was deserted, no cars on the road, walkers being so careful if they passed anyone on the street, supermarket delivery vans everywhere because people were avoiding going out. Now if I look out my window, normal life has resumed. Traffic jams, people chatting in groups, the park is heaving particularly after school.

I am not blaming people AT ALL, it is impossible to sustain lockdown for a year. But cases are so high now, 700+ on Sunday, 500 yesterday and there seems to be no ability to get this number down with proper contact tracing, just never ending lockdown which more and more people are ignoring. It's impossible to get out of our 5km here, there are checkpoints on the main roads particularly at weekends. All we want to do is go for a walk in a different park from the one we could walk around blindfolded.

Meanwhile dc are still slogging away at online school, sliding further into apathy and depression. My 3 dc have birthdays coming up which will be their 2nd in lockdown, no friends, no proper celebration. Zoom parties have lost their novelty at this point.

As for vaccinations... I'll be lucky to have one by Christmas. Absolutely no idea when my 76 year old mother will have hers. Out of all the older relatives we have, uncles, aunts, in laws, all in their 70s/80s, only one has been vaccinated.

And don't get me started on Leadership, MM is not the kind of 'Leader' we need right now. I'm sure he's doing his best, but I just get the feeling he has no idea what to do next. That's not inspiring confidence.

Feeling thoroughly fed up this morning. Feel feel to join in, it's good to let it all out!

I was like a trapped cat the other day. Just needed to get away. Except there's no where to get away too.

It really is like a whole class punishment isn't it? Except on where the guilty people are included in the punishment. All kept in the classroom watching the wrong doers have fun outside.

I hear you @anomletteandaglassofwine it's a far more depressing situation now than it was 12 months ago.

All the "experts" said that lockdowns are only really effective if they're short and sharp and even then, they have to be used sparingly. I think we've dragged the proverbial arse out of it at this stage and it's no wonder it's not working. I know you say there's checkpoints all around your 5K but honestly where we are there's nothing and hasn't been for ages. I just don't see any enforcement. Of course, the fact we've been allowing thousands of people move in and out of the country all through this pandemic makes a complete mockery of any restrictions we have anyway!

I don't really understand what the end game is here anymore. They told us that we needed to keep numbers down so that the 'system' doesn't get overwhelmed. There's less than 400 covid patients in hospital nationwide and it doesn't sound like there's many patients in for anything other than emergency situations since most elective procedures etc have been put on hold. So how can that be overwhelming?? And if that's not the goal anymore then they need to tell us what it is!

We're just a teeny sample of the population and still on here you can feel the frustration so I'd say nationally there's just a huge sense of disillusionment. As you say, there's no leadership and that's what we really need now. This government have lost the people for sure. I still can't believe that Meehole went to USA for St. Patrick's Day. I think that was so insensitive when they're demanding people stay within 5K of their homes for so long. He really didn't need to go, it was absolutely a jolly.

No, he didn't, Life. Biden and Micheál had a virtual meeting. He didn't travel anywhere.

Totally agree with the lack of leadership and confidence we have in the Government now. They literally said last week, we don't have a breeze as what to do next.
Michael Martin has no business being Taoiseach during this crisis. A man so insipid, characterless and invisible that even automatic doors wouldn't open for him.

This type of lockdown is just unsustainable. Plenty of parents in groups chatting outside school yesterday and heard somebody who I know was really very careful last March, washing and quarantining shopping, inviting somebody else for a cup of tea. Maybe outside but that wasn't clear. And their small children are playing together everyday with no social distancing at school so 🤷 . It's hard to say don't mix when they're mixing at school anyway.