@Newto2016: “underlying health condition” is almost one in three.
They are not some small group you can isolate from the others.

@Newto2016: Another one spouting the ‘I want it all opened quickly’ line. Everything open will happen but fair to say ot is looking like Aug/Sep at least. Nothings being rushed open cause Mr. Newto ‘Flip the Oaps/Vulnerable’ demands it.

@Gary Kearney: Newto2016 has a point, if we vaccinated everyone over 65, just 14% of our population, we’d reduced deaths by about 90%. Why? because so far 94% of our COVID-19 affected people >65.

The UK saw 80% reduction in hospitalisation and deaths among the elderly after their first dose of the Pfizer or AstraZenica vaccines, protection increases after the 2nd dose.

Yes, we have many vulnerable people now, but after they are fully vaccinated they are no longer as vulnerable. Therefore, I think it is possible to ease restrictions after >65 year olds are all vaccinated.

I mean that we likely do not have to wait for herd immunity (Autumn at this rate) before we see substantial benefits from vaccination.

@David Jordan: while I agree with what you say about the numbers, the reality is that our restrictions are no longer based on hospitalizations, number of cases or vaccination rates. Varadkar stated that even when we are fully vaccinated that restrictions will remain into 2022. If it were a case that vaccination rates determined easing of restrictions, what you say would make sense. But, unfortunately they’re not. The goal posts have shifted.

@Brian Ó Dálaigh:the goal posts have vanished

@Brian Ó Dálaigh: at this stage….what goal posts ???

@Brian Ó Dálaigh: “the reality is that our restrictions are no longer based on hospitalizations, number of cases or vaccination rates”

They never really were. Restrictions are not really based on today’s hospitalisations and infection rates, but are related (or should be) to projected levels of hospitalisations and infections weeks later.

For example, during Christmas we opened up, when cases and hospitalisations were quite low, then 3 weeks later on Jan 8 our infections peaked, then Hospital admissions peaked a week later and finally on Feb 1st deaths peaked; we had 70 COVID-19 deaths on Feb 1st, 5 weeks after Christmas day.

So easing restrictions are not really based on today’s figures, easing restrictions is based on a projection of what may happen later. For example easing restrictions during winter was dumb, as the virus is more transmissible as people spend more time in doors (meeting each other over Christmas).

This is why there is caution and unnecessary pessimism

However, I think we will gain in confidence after we begin to see that easing restrictions no longer translates to high hospital admissions 3 weeks later or deaths 5.5 weeks later. I think that will happen by May.

@David Jordan: I’m only going by what government were saying. Yes, restrictions were brought in until this point to prevent future high numbers of hospitalizations. And, I do agree that the restrictions were necessary evils to minimise hospitalisations and deaths. This is why I find it difficult to understand when senior ministers state that even when vaccinations have been completed the restrictions will continue. That’s their words, not mine.

@Brian Ó Dálaigh: Social distancing is a restriction, wearing a mask in public places is a restriction, you getting it?

@David Jordan: maybe check stats over 65% of positive cases are under 45 sometimes iy has reached 70% and unfortunately young people pass it to elderly who suffer worse effects

@Bryan Smyth: I think you’re being unnecessarily rude, don’t you? Masks and social distancing are not pleasant, but hardly terrible in the grand scheme of things. For people like myself, however, a little bit of clarity in when we can be reunited with our loved ones would certainly give a little glimpse of light at the end of what has been a very dark tunnel, and would, I imagine, give people something to cling onto, something to aim for to give them some comfort while adhering to public health guidelines. To come out and say that there won’t be much in the way of changes (other than schools, retail and a broken hospitality sector partially reopened) even after vaccinations is just another nail in the coffin for many who are broken hearted. But, thanks for your uncaring jibe.

@Newto2016: you’d have to be naive to think that will work. Even with shielding, the virus will get to the most vulnerable through carers etc..

Plus it’s never going to happen so pointless even discussing it.

@Brian Ó Dálaigh: absolutely agree Brian it is all gloom and doom no upbeat news as you say heartbreaking for some of us recently bereaved now on our own

@Newto2016: less people might die if all the over 65s were vaccinated but aside from the fact that younger people can and are suffering from long Covid19 reopening society when there is still a large amount of virus in the community gives it more opportunity to spread and mutate. We are now turning the home bend, if we do this correctly we will have herd immunity by the autumn and this time next year it will all be a bad memory.

@Declan John Power: I’ll travel to cork for a round!

@Ciaran McQuaid: and what do you consider useful Ciaran?

@Ciaran McQuaid: like what farming? Go way ya langer

@Shimmy Shammy:

Anything but golf :-)

@Declan John Power: wont be like that for long with your protest this weekend

@Declan John Power: yeah and every golf bore in the country will travel to cork and drag the virus with them. Think man.

@Ron Kingston: you going to the protest on Saturday?

@Eoin Ó Cuinneagáin: good God no, what a crowd of stoners, thicks and scümbags that will be.

@Ron Kingston: C’mere, don’t label all the stoners as covidiots. If the government dolled out a few spliffs with the PUP, we’d have eliminated covid after a few weeks as everyone would have just stayed at home.

@Ainm: not so. Of the people i know that got it, the one considered most vulnerable got just a sore throat for a couple of days, whilst the least vulnerable are still suffering, one with long covid, 2 with no taste or smell. All 4 got it around new year.

@Mirabelle Stonegate: not having taste or smell is not the same as being dead. Our response to this is a massive overreaction and totally out of step with other EU members. It doesn’t help that the media is almost exclusively non-critical of the measures.

@Ainm: my pet hate is the ‘ stay safe ‘ …… safe from what I’m perfectly healthy thanks

@Ainm: Gary never responds when questioned
Just spouts his perceived facts from his own narrow perspective. WHO emphatically stating that lockdown is a tool for emergencies. Countries should be identifying and aggressively isolating outbreaks while cautiously getting on with life.

@William Tallon: I just want one. You needn’t be concerned.

@Franny Ando: Right there with ya.

@Seán O Ciara: Reckon I was just projecting my own desires in this particular onto you. I blame Freud…

@William Tallon: Aww I’ll buy him a pint as well!

@Seán O Ciara: you and me both would do jail for a pint of plain

@Seán O Ciara: He says ‘Thanks very much Jung fella…’

@Franny Ando: why can’t you drink at home? I really don’t get this pub obsession. I miss the rugby in the pub, but I enjoy a drink watching it at home. Sort of unnecessary complaining in my opinion. Just sayin.

@Anna Carr: Because we need a break from the women & vice versa ;~)

@Anna Carr: And using your logic you’ve just unnecessarily complained about unnecessary complaining…

@Anna Carr: if you don’t get it, then there is no point asking him to drink at home.

@Anna Carr: some people don’t like to drink at home. Just like some people go to the pub and have a mineral, to be social and enjoy the atmosphere. I don’t like golf or tennis or rugby, but I don’t question why others do, to each their own!

@William Tallon: it will be 2 hours in a pub I’m sure for quite a while, an cos us Irish love a drink u,d ave to b in the pub 20 hours before u,d let ur guard down!!

@Tracy Perry: tomorrow it’s probably gonna be 2000.

@King George VI: That’s the spirit

@Justin Gillespie: yes unfortunately as this is Ireland and we can’t seem to do anything remotely balanced ….we will indeed have to speak out and call for reopening….precisely because as evidenced by our management from the outset that the health officialdom will always always always act in the most risk averse and cautious approach solely from a public health perspective ….they do not have to take into consideration so many of the other important factors like livelihoods , social well being and genuine economic considerations -m which do not have to mean that calling for lifting restrictions or emerging from the longest lockdowns in EU is in someway WRONG…..the people have complied for a year and the responsibility of having the correct testing and tracing capabilities is not on them…the authorities have to deliver…..they have to be the ones that ensure the country is able to balance the reigniting of our local economy with public health measures – they got a lot wrong last year , they wound down aggressive testing capability at the end of the summer when cases fell precisely when they should have ramped up chasing the virus – they failed to do a good job managing ports of entry since last march with a very leaky process that allowed UK Brazil SA travel bring variants in – and they didnt have legislation process prepared during 2020 for this vital component of having a successful plan – so yes there will be people calling for reopening – especially the half the country being decimated – not so much the work from home on full pay half – as Luke O Neill said recently they could be more imaginative and show a better sense of urgency in terms of rolling out the vaccines as an example – so I wont be making apologies for asking for a speedier and balanced reopening because there is such a thing as being too slow and too cautious and inflicting more damage than is required if we just accept the slow slow slow cautious mantra that we are going to be fed in our Irish bubble.

@Declan: Everyone entitled to an opinion Declan, me and you included, that’s how forums work. My point is that good and all as today’s figures are we are not yet at the level we need to be at to eliminate any chance of another surge.

@Derdaly: that’s 89k doses of AZ

@Gary Kearney: “.. the spread of it is younger people..”, that’s a very sweeping statement there, Gary. Do you have personal knowledge of each case?

@Gary Kearney: so stay in lockdown to prevent lockdown. Makes sense.

@Brian Ó Dálaigh: that’s sad. Nothing said can bring comfort to your situation. I just hope you are reunited a bit sooner if things go well.

@Gary Kearney: What’s all this “we” business

@Brian Ó Dálaigh: you sound like a “glass half empty” kinda man

@Cheeky Charlie: I live isolated and haven’t touched another person since last March. I haven’t seen my fiancee since December 2019 and won’t get to for another 12-14 months. I have no family here. My internet is too poor for video calls or video streaming. I have been put out of work for 12 months now. My mental health has suffered and I’ve contemplated suicide on several occasions over the last 12 months. Our mental health services have collapsed in the meantime. Put yourself in someone else’s shoes before being so quick to mock someone. You have no idea what people are going through and you have no idea what people’s backgrounds are.

@Brian Ó Dálaigh: That’s rough… hang in there. Hope you’re reunited with your fiancee and family soon. Can’t imagine how hard it’s been to cope for you so far; honestly think I’d have dropped everything and fecked off out of here if that were my situation, but understand it’s not always that easy.

@Mary Oliver: Oh… I haven’t seen my family since Summer 2019. I feel your pain.

@Sommer Church: i know its not popular to say or be seen to question the vaccine rollout – but i genuinely think they should look consider any workers that are operating currently as being front line workers and potential. extreme high risk of superspreaders = supermarket workers , bus drivers , taxi drivers etc at the moment are way down the list and yet are on a par for risk with healthcare settings but not deemed front line – i mean we were using defence forces to deliver a vaccine to aran islands where there was only one case on the island but a dublin driveer that might have to pick up a customer from the airport , or to a test centre or vaccine centre are not deemed important enough to be vaccinated – nobody could convince me it is more logical to use a limited supply of a vaccine dose on an 85 year old on the remote aran islands is a smarter use of reducing actual risk over these other genuine front line workers that may not be healthcare – same with Gardai , Pharmacy staff – if we are saying its ok for everyone to use supermarkets and public transport it is BS we are not vaccinating these real potential hotspots for outbreaks and instead insist that the plan is the plan and cannot be questioned

@Dave Hammond: A very good point and very well made.