To just not get it with Ireland reopening

[Ahnowcomon]

I have just read that npht are very concerned re delta variant and that indoor dining etc opening might be put back. I just don't understand , if the older and vulnerable are vaccinated with both doses how this could end up being again a huge problem?
They actually said schools might not open in September if this variant becomes prevalent..
Even if people do contract the virus after two doses then surely they aren't going to be able to become as sick to need hospitalisation or if so very rarely.
And also if it continues to be delayed , September when schools begin -not a good time , winter-not a good time as too many ppl will need boosters, Christmas-again not a good time.
Is that it then , they just stay closed? Also Germany, France, Spain, Italy etc all have indoor dining (and yes they prob also have more outdoor dining), all these countries have the delta variant also.
I just don't get it tbh..BTW it makes pretty much no difference to us as we rarely eat out but feel hugely for the businesses.

@Ahnowcomon , I’m with you, it doesn’t seem to be causing any great surge in hospitalisations or deaths in the UK. There just doesn’t seem to be any public or political pressure in Ireland to reopen, it’s just so incredibly conservative.

Like when on earth can they open really? By September and going into winter there will be older people needing booster shots and then potentially vulnerable as the original vaccine wears off....
I honestly feel like it's never ending. Also as someone pointed out the politicians will all be the ones in luxury hotels eating and drinking inside 🤷 being served by unvaccinated young people

Coz apparently vaccinations don't work well enough (say the doomsters) and any covid is too much covid (say the Zero Covid lot) and masks don't work to protect you from infection (which is why masks are essential everywhere & only covidiots don't use them). And we don't "live with" any other germs (except Whooping cough, RSV, influenza...) plus covid is not a respiratory virus (I read that on MN today, so WHO must be wrong). And everyone who gets covid will probably get Long Covid which is as good as a lifelong terrible disability (we know this for sure from 18 months of data already).

I mean, why are you looking for anything that makes sense in how covid control happens and how the covid risk should be managed.

I wish I was so naive.

I can't understand it either. Cases are stabilised, hospital figures are low but yet they're keeping us under extended restrictions.

Maybe I am naive... I absolutely assumed two doses of the vaccine would protect against serious complications even if someone was to contract a variant. Like not to sound ridiculous but so what if cases go up as long as people don't get seriously ill and are unlikely to with being fully vaccinated..I genuinely can't see an end to this in Ireland.

The problem is that a lot of the people we assume to be fully vaccinated aren't, in fact, fully vaccinated because they got the Astra Zeneca and there's a big gap between the first and second doses. For example, my neighbour (mid 60s?) told me that she's due to get her second dose this week. I had assumed she was fully vaccinated weeks ago. A colleague is in the same position -anxiously awaiting a call for her second jab. Fintan O'Toole had a piece about it in the Irish Times on Saturday (sorry, subscriber only) www.irishtimes.com/news/health/coronavirus/fintan-o-toole-those-who-did-what-they-were-told-on-vaccines-now-feel-like-eejits-1.4601196

That said, it's a devastating decision for the business owners and may well sound the death knell for many of them. And the suggestion that only those with vaccination passes can enjoy indoor activities is ludicrous, when it will mostly be young, unvaccinated staff who will be working in those same pubs and restaurants. It also means that families won't be able to dine indoors because there's no plan to vaccinate under 18s, so restaurants will lose out on a lot of business they would previously have enjoyed e.g. Sunday lunches and family occasions (big birthdays, christenings, communion parties, confirmation parties etc.)

I agree. The hysterical and completely ludicrous overreaction is ridiculous.

I really cannot understand why Ireland is carrying on with this farce when most other countries aren't. We are becoming the laughing stock of Europe.

There was thread a while ago about the "craic being gone from Ireland forever" where the poster was laughed out of town. Unfortunately they were right.

RIP Ireland.

How can weddings be allowed go ahead but communions and confirmations can't? I really don't get it either OP.

My son is due to get communion next week. I've bought his suit. It's had to be altered a lot as he is small so the smallest size had to be altered down for him and its due for collection tomorrow. Have bought him new shoes. And same for my other kids - new outfits and shoes. All will be too small by the time we get the go ahead as who knows when that will be.

Hadn't planned a massive party just a few garden games for him and his cousins. We're a small school so not many kids in his class so the church would have well accommodated the few families. Yet a wedding for 50 people can go ahead. Weddings tend to be big 2/3 day drinking sessions. Any communion I've been to in the last few years has been lovely celebrations and family orientated with little or no drinking. So disappointed for him as he has practiced his prayers everyday since getting his school holidays. Can't understand why the government have made this decision.

Tony Holohan is pulling the strings and Mehole is as spineless as ever.

I think it’s as a large swathe of 50-70 year olds are only partially vaccinated and also with AZ which apparently isn’t that effective against delta in one dose. I’ve a friend in India who said his uncle died of covid after one dose of AZ (called something different over there) and a friend who is 35 was hospitalised after one dose of AZ.

They have said they will get all those with only one dose of AZ vaccinated with second dose by 19th July and also said they’ll get a lot of the 35-39 group done with first dose Pfizer too . So if that delay sorts those groups out it’s probably fine but after that point there is no reason to not open up completely.

Paul Reid has said there's going to be a big drop in vaccinations in July due to a supply issue.

I am horrified at what is evolving here.? On schools .vaccine passports to dine in.omg what a two tier society. I am completely turned off going to a restaurant if this is enforced . Myself and DH are fully vaccinated. The kids arent obvs. We are booked for 2 nights away in august. If we have to eat in our hotel room we wont be going. I so wish we booked NI now. The poor restaurants along the border must be in ruins with people crossing into NI for a meal out. My only hope is NI drops all restrictions-masks and all in July as whats mooted in England and we are forced to cop the hell on down here. Its just dreadful it really is. There is anger out there i feel over this. Holohan has lost the run of himself. What is going on !! #disbandnphet is trending and rightly so.

@Radyward indoor dining has been open in hotels since June for guests so your holiday won’t be affected.

I was a bit surprised to read in the Irish Independent today that Ireland lies in 4th place in the list of
European Infection Rates Per 100,000.

1. UK
2. Portugal
3. Spain
4. Ireland

We are above
Germany,
Italy,
France

However we are in 3rd place re
Percentage of the Population Fully Vaccinated.

1. Malta
2. UK
3. Ireland

The article does not state where the data has originated.

But genuinely when can they reopen properly? September, schools back =cases will go up, winter =our hospitals can't cope as covid along with flu, Christmas =pubs absolutely packed obviously so top risky to open.
I can't stand the man but as Boris said this evening, if we don't reopen soon and go back to normal, when ? No doubt the delta variant will be followed by another. ...I honestly feel like we'll be stuck in this forever. Today I went to the pool and actually just left, 45 mins, couldn't use shower, couldn't dry hair , nowhere to sit when waiting for family members, this is a town with 7 pools and only one open to public. Constant, constant reminders to "be careful " on intercoms etc, think its actually unhealthy ...Also ironically when I looked around so many overweight ppl and kids, that's also a killer like and covid isn't helping.
I'm going off the subject but genuinely I can't see an end to this here and it's scary tbh..

There will always be something for Dr. Death to control us. He's lost the support of the vast majority of the country and he's clinging on to power for all he's worth.

Covid's going to be around for a long time so we'll be under Tony's rule for a long time yet.

I presume it's because the Irish Health System is really shite, but even taking that into consideration I'm beginning to think we will never get out of this.

As for the bizarre announcement of 18-35s being able to get vaccinated in pharmacies; that's utterly ridiculous. It looks as though pharmacies will get enough to vaccinate about 1 in 30 of the under 35s, and I know some over-60s who haven't yet got their second AZ dose.

The two-tier dining is a real kick in the teeth for the young people who have worked throughout, protected the elderly, and are now unable to get vaccinated and thus unable to socialise. I'm vaccinated, but I will refuse to dine in until there is a way for young people to do so, it's spectacularly unfair.

The whole thing is an absolute farce. I'm generally a rule-follower, but I'm on the verge of complete rebellion (only I don't know how best to rebel ).

honeyrider, where did you hear about the supply problems? I suspected that we were even more short-supplied than we have been since the beginning, but I no longer believe anything any of them say.

It has to end sometime.
I feel sorry for all the businesses that have suffered.

Pharmacys do have scant supply. I am beginning to think there is no way out of this nightmare .variant upon variant . Winter surge, just not enought beds in the hse for the population add on covid and none added over the course of pandemic means we are stuck !!

We are in a tunnel, not a well.

Things are definitely looking better than they were a year ago.

@TurquoiseBaubles

honeyrider, where did you hear about the supply problems? I suspected that we were even more short-supplied than we have been since the beginning, but I no longer believe anything any of them say.

Paul Reid said it about 2 weeks ago, it's been well reported. In the meantime Mehole has been negotiating with other European countries to buy their surplus so hopefully that will increase supply.

As for the bizarre announcement of 18-35s being able to get vaccinated in pharmacies; that's utterly ridiculous. It looks as though pharmacies will get enough to vaccinate about 1 in 30 of the under 35s, and I know some over-60s who haven't yet got their second AZ dose.

I don't understand why it is ridiculous to get as many people vaccinated as they can as quickly as they can? No one said they were going to vaccinate all 18-34yo in chemists? But some is better than none surely? The portal is open this week for 30-34yo so they can also get theirs that way beginning next week.

I'm 35 and got my first vaccine at the weekend so they are definitely working through the age groups. Having some 18-34 yo vaccined at chemists especially with a one shot vaccine is really positive in my eyes, I'm sure everyone in that age group that have gotten their one shot vaccine so far this week don't think it is 'pointless'.

@honeyrider

There will always be something for Dr. Death to control us. He's lost the support of the vast majority of the country and he's clinging on to power for all he's worth.

Covid's going to be around for a long time so we'll be under Tony's rule for a long time yet.

Your comments are both stupid & offensive.

Disagree with the decisions, fine. But calling Tony Holohan 'Dr Death' is incredibly insulting, given the man's dedication and commitment throughout this.

OuiOuiKitty, the issue I have with the sudden announcement is that pharmacies got no warning and there is no central way of registering. So my son, for example, is on the waiting list of 7 different pharmacies, which is a complete waste of time for everyone.

The way it was announced gave young people the impression they could be vaccinated in pharmacies from this week. In reality about 3% of them will be which will make no statistical difference to rates of infection but is causing huge anger among my son's peers many of whom work in hospitality and entertainment and have been out of proper work for over a year.