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Ireland drops most Covid restrictions in wake of 'Omicron storm'

reuters.com

21–30 of 401 posts

Re: Ireland drops most Covid restrictions in wake of 'Omicron storm'

#21
Frankly about time given that Omicron peaks are preceding peak number of booster shots. The magical broken product we can't sue over strikes again.

It's still not understood what pressures led to Omicron favouring lower lethality so I'll be curious if that's ever explained over the normal "that's what viruses do _shrug_"...

Re: Ireland drops most Covid restrictions in wake of 'Omicron storm'

#22
Dev I know working there has said the pubs were closing really early, with the result that people simply moved the party back home afterwards.

As a policy to stop groups getting COVID, it seems it encouraged the thing it was trying to prevent.

Anyway, kudos to them for going back to something like normalcy, I must go back there on vacation!

Re: Ireland drops most Covid restrictions in wake of 'Omicron storm'

#23
post #11
post #5

They are expecting a spike in infections as a result, and the rules around self-isolation on positive tests and wearing masks in most contexts remain. But Ireland has had one of the longest lockdowns in Europe, and one of the best vaccination rates. Both have paid off, but not without cost.

It is not clear to me that low incremental death rates are due to lockdowns (or, for that matter vaccination rates). Balkans had low rates with no lockdowns (and vaccination rates of under 35% throughout last summer). I am not claiming that your statement is wrong, just that the causal relationship is not at all clear to me. It is probably much easier to show for vax rates, but lockdowns -- I have not seen a convinci…

Lockdowns seem to be very dependent on how they are enforced and culture.

Re: Ireland drops most Covid restrictions in wake of 'Omicron storm'

#24
post #8
post #3

Great! Other countries need to follow suit. We have to learn to live with this disease, like the gazillion others.

I wish that people who say things like "learn to live with it" actually meant it. We do indeed need to learn from the past two years, and that will result in something quite different from pretending that we're still in 2019.

One lesson learnt is, shutting down the borders does not help. It can at most delay the inevitable by a few weeks. If you don't have a vaccine ready to be administered to all your population in 3-4 weeks, shutting down the borders is pointless.

Another one, politicians need to stop using science for propaganda. The mistrust in scientists has cost us dearly.

Re: Ireland drops most Covid restrictions in wake of 'Omicron storm'

#25
Most COVID restrictions at this point are just medical theatre. We are at a point where people can be responsible for their own decisions and proceed into the world at their own risk. Most places with bountiful vaccine availability should just drop restrictions. I have not worn a mask since last year after being vaccinated and have suffered no ill effects, despite being around a lot of people and going to parties and nightclubs. I can’t see how rational people can tolerate such imaginary sanitation rituals.

Re: Ireland drops most Covid restrictions in wake of 'Omicron storm'

#26

At this point, you’re either vaccinated, have been sick or are dead, so all good. With Omicron beating out Delta and not causing as many hospitalizations - sure, why not.

Am I fucking crazy for not knowing what's going on any more?

US hospitalizations are at an all time high, 2000 people are still dying every day, and it feels like everybody is just okay with that now. What happened?

I get that everybody is tired of it, I am too, but it feels like we wasted two years of everybody's life just the take the bullet anyway.

Re: Ireland drops most Covid restrictions in wake of 'Omicron storm'

#27
post #8
post #3

Great! Other countries need to follow suit. We have to learn to live with this disease, like the gazillion others.

I wish that people who say things like "learn to live with it" actually meant it. We do indeed need to learn from the past two years, and that will result in something quite different from pretending that we're still in 2019.

It always bothered me growing up, the lack of elbow-operable doorknobs and other measures for what would seem to be basic hygiene in public spaces. Cities are disease kettles, it never was appropriate to design them with the same low hygiene standards as our homes.

Re: Ireland drops most Covid restrictions in wake of 'Omicron storm'

#28
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm quite sure it will be much more like 2019 than you think. People will learn to live with the deaths if it continues as it was in 2020/21. Prolong the lock downs more and most of the population will go crazy.

Lol find me one place in the United States where there are “lockdowns”.

Why do you mention the US when the article is about Ireland?

Re: Ireland drops most Covid restrictions in wake of 'Omicron storm'

#29
post #26

At this point, you’re either vaccinated, have been sick or are dead, so all good. With Omicron beating out Delta and not causing as many hospitalizations - sure, why not.

Am I fucking crazy for not knowing what's going on any more? US hospitalizations are at an all time high, 2000 people are still dying every day, and it feels like everybody is just okay with that now. What happened? I get that everybody is tired of it, I am too, but it feels like we wasted two years of everybody's life just the take the bullet anyway.

It is mostly unvaccinated people choosing to not get vaccinated, which people have lost patience for, and I cannot blame them.

Re: Ireland drops most Covid restrictions in wake of 'Omicron storm'

#30
post #12

Earlier quoted context omitted.

I'm quite sure it will be much more like 2019 than you think. People will learn to live with the deaths if it continues as it was in 2020/21. Prolong the lock downs more and most of the population will go crazy.

Lol find me one place in the United States where there are “lockdowns”.

Lots of places outside the US. Nobody said a word about the US.
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