National Forum

The Corona Virus And Possible Effects To GAA Matches

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Replying To arock:  "In Dublin 5K has compressed thousands into every available green space. Apparently 450k people live within 5k of Phoenix Park and thevpowers that be moan about congregating etc. I do my exercise in Dublin city centre not a soul about like 28 days later. Yet people in suburbs are stuffed into tight spaces. We are paying a huge price for surrendering our civil liberties and the result is still rising numbers. There are more coffee outlets opening than people being vaccinated. They also can tell us how many people fined, shebeens busted but they cannot tell us after 13 months why the numbers are now rising. The only numbers that matter now are the number of jabs in arms."
The 5km ridiculous alright. It should at least be stay within your county. Not everyone is going to land on the same beach or woodland. In Mayo for example all beaches and national parks etc are blocked off which is ridiculous.

You have Erris an area in north mayo with a land area larger than county Dublin with only 8,000 people living in it and we can go up there. Ballycroy national Park should be open to the public along with every other national park and beach.

Meanwhile thousands are flying into the country.

yew_tree (Mayo) - Posts: 11229 - 22/03/2021 12:48:33    2334696

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Replying To yew_tree:  "It's not that bad because we have been doing what we are told (well vast majority of us). I think you forget the scenes from Italy last year.

Say we ploughed on at Christmas...didn't shut anything down. How do you think the "not that bad" virus would be looking now?"
I'm not sure tbh,im not saying not to impose certain restrictions, but to effectively put society to sleep for a year and counting is overkill for me.
The virus is totally harmless to almost everyone who contracts it, those who are vulnerable could very easily take steps to protect themselves without shutting down everything.
I don't know anyone whose died from it, anyone I know who contracted the virus said it was barely noticeable, in England the rule is that if you die within a month of contracting covid you are to be labelled a covid death. That inflates the figures Almost 100 people die per day in Ireland (pre covid),yet you'd have sworn that death never existed until covid came along. People are making out that very old, vulnerable, ill people dying is something new, when it happens all the time, all day, every day.
The daily star had a headline last may "200 babies born with covid", front page. Strangely enough, the following week when all those babies had made fill and seamless recoveries from covid, well, that didn't make the front page.
I could spend the next hour listing examples of fear mongering, exaggerations, manipulation of statistics.
It's hard for me not to be sceptical.

Galway9801 (Galway) - Posts: 1705 - 22/03/2021 13:02:28    2334697

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We expect better answers and planning from leadership and medical experts. There seems to be a lot of waffling and suspecting going on. Maybe that is not fair but if they do not have the answers say so. Throwing things out there and hoping something sticks undermines confidence. I hear the top medical people in the U.S. evasive about whether the different vaccines stop the spread. One day they do. The next day not sure. It looks like what we can expect is that these vaccines will stop us from dying in large numbers. There needs to be planning as to how society can function with the situation we find ourselves because it is not going to hold the forth much longer by locking everything down. What if herd immunity can not be achieved because the virus is too smart and keeps changing ?

Canuck (Waterford) - Posts: 2658 - 22/03/2021 13:29:26    2334701

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I think if they can get everyone over 50, and the vulnerable at all age groups vaccinated we really need to start thinking about reopening. I'm not saying all at once by any means, but in a sensible way. Let those under 50 use their own discretion and responsibility as to how they want to go about things. All the while keep a very close eye on hospital admissions and ICU capacity. If people are getting sick, but don't need hospital, and can get over Covid after a few days then I think we need to get the economy moving again.

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9132 - 22/03/2021 13:45:30    2334702

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Replying To arock:  "In Dublin 5K has compressed thousands into every available green space. Apparently 450k people live within 5k of Phoenix Park and thevpowers that be moan about congregating etc. I do my exercise in Dublin city centre not a soul about like 28 days later. Yet people in suburbs are stuffed into tight spaces. We are paying a huge price for surrendering our civil liberties and the result is still rising numbers. There are more coffee outlets opening than people being vaccinated. They also can tell us how many people fined, shebeens busted but they cannot tell us after 13 months why the numbers are now rising. The only numbers that matter now are the number of jabs in arms."
They're great at cracking down on the shebeens but not so good at cracking down on marquees in Leitrim and other big funerals around the place for some reason.....

Dubsfan28 (Dublin) - Posts: 2509 - 22/03/2021 13:58:17    2334706

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Replying To Lockjaw:  "Well said, I agree with that. I think that if cases are plateauing, and we can hopefully keep hospitalizations and deaths minimized, then there has to be some sort of careful easing of restrictions. Vaccines are working, the R number in Israel has dropped significantly in parallel with their aggressive vaccine rollout for example. This means that cases have decoupled from (lagged) deaths. This is excellent news, but if we keep worrying about cases per se we won't know it.

We should focus specifically on when our hospitalization numbers go below the lowest point they reached since this began. And then never go back up. Underpinning all this of course, is the EU, Astra-Zeneca and our government getting the finger out and sorting out the supply issues as a matter of utmost priority.

The more jabs that go in arms the more the government should be simultaneously drafting a timetable of restriction removals. Give us some sort of targets to aim for and I guarantee the current levels of frustration & anger will ease, even a little."
The lack of a living with Covid plan or roadmap to easing restrictions in line with vaccination/hospital numbers is pretty staggering.
People need hope and some good news, light at the end of a tunnel etc but we're not getting that from NPHET or Government.
If it wasn't for FF/FG leaking the odd stuff to their pals in the media then we wouldn't have any idea what's happening.

Dubsfan28 (Dublin) - Posts: 2509 - 22/03/2021 14:01:06    2334707

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When you see officials still scurrying around Dublin looking for quarantine hotels and the British having tens of millions already vaccinated, it really does expose Ireland and shows it to be what it really is. Lord knows what state Ireland would be in without foreign aid and being a tax haven for multinationals, Dublin's biggest employer would still be Arthur Guinness and the docks.

A question often asked is how so many Irish people who left the country can go abroad and thrive, but yet in their own country nothing seems to be run professionally. Is it because the smart ones leave and the sleveens stay at home ?

Because of the common travel area , the British have offered to go to Ireland and vaccinate the whole population once they have wrapped up their own programme in the next couple of months. Will the Irish Government accept this offer from it's neighbour or carry on down the blind alley. I don't expect them to make the right call.

AfricanGael (UK) - Posts: 1947 - 22/03/2021 14:32:59    2334711

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Replying To Dubsfan28:  "The lack of a living with Covid plan or roadmap to easing restrictions in line with vaccination/hospital numbers is pretty staggering.
People need hope and some good news, light at the end of a tunnel etc but we're not getting that from NPHET or Government.
If it wasn't for FF/FG leaking the odd stuff to their pals in the media then we wouldn't have any idea what's happening."
Yeah exactly. It's like the Episode in Father Ted when Dougal is stuck on the milk float - "Is there anything to be said for saying another mass?" except for us it's lockdown after lockdown.

I know that vaccine supply is an issue, and that we're part of the overall EU supply - but there's a reason governments are elected in the first place. They need to lean on these pharma companies and start exerting a bit of influence. We were good little EU soldiers when it came to the last 5 years of Brexit negotiations and we also give the pharma companies that operate here very generous tax rates. Plus, get that feckin hotel quarantine for incoming international travelers sorted once and for all. It beggars belief that we're over a year into this bloody thing and they STILL haven't it sorted.

Like you say, if we had something along the lines of the below, it would keep people on track and we might finally get ahead of this damn virus. (I just jotted these down very much at the top of my head, but you get the idea - it would give people hope and a wee bit more staying power than what we're seeing currently)

End of March - all over 80s and vulnerable vaccinated = 20km limit, GAA county players can train, golf and tennis allowed.
End of April - all over 70s vaccinated = travel within county allowed, inter county GAA games allowed
End of May - all over 60s vaccinated = inter county travel permitted, club GAA training allowed, outdoor dining allowed
End of June - all over 50s vaccinated = club league can begin, outdoor pubs allowed
etc etc

Lockjaw (Donegal) - Posts: 9132 - 22/03/2021 14:39:05    2334714

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Replying To AfricanGael:  "When you see officials still scurrying around Dublin looking for quarantine hotels and the British having tens of millions already vaccinated, it really does expose Ireland and shows it to be what it really is. Lord knows what state Ireland would be in without foreign aid and being a tax haven for multinationals, Dublin's biggest employer would still be Arthur Guinness and the docks.

A question often asked is how so many Irish people who left the country can go abroad and thrive, but yet in their own country nothing seems to be run professionally. Is it because the smart ones leave and the sleveens stay at home ?

Because of the common travel area , the British have offered to go to Ireland and vaccinate the whole population once they have wrapped up their own programme in the next couple of months. Will the Irish Government accept this offer from it's neighbour or carry on down the blind alley. I don't expect them to make the right call."
I would not get over pushed about how GB handled the crises. They have over 125, 000 dead from Covid and that is two to one per capita in comparison to the Republic, and there are serious questions being asked if the numbers are not actually higher. and before you mention population density, Holland has more than two to one of a higher population density than GB and that have about half the number per capita also dead from the condition.

Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4318 - 22/03/2021 15:06:30    2334715

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Replying To Galway9801:  "I'm not sure tbh,im not saying not to impose certain restrictions, but to effectively put society to sleep for a year and counting is overkill for me.
The virus is totally harmless to almost everyone who contracts it, those who are vulnerable could very easily take steps to protect themselves without shutting down everything.
I don't know anyone whose died from it, anyone I know who contracted the virus said it was barely noticeable, in England the rule is that if you die within a month of contracting covid you are to be labelled a covid death. That inflates the figures Almost 100 people die per day in Ireland (pre covid),yet you'd have sworn that death never existed until covid came along. People are making out that very old, vulnerable, ill people dying is something new, when it happens all the time, all day, every day.
The daily star had a headline last may "200 babies born with covid", front page. Strangely enough, the following week when all those babies had made fill and seamless recoveries from covid, well, that didn't make the front page.
I could spend the next hour listing examples of fear mongering, exaggerations, manipulation of statistics.
It's hard for me not to be sceptical."
I don't get the media and the fear mongering. You are correct about alot of what you say Galway. The death toll in 2020 was the same as any other year. No increase despite this contagious virus that had killed thousands. Also if a person dies they are tested for covid. If a strain shows up they are registered as a covid death but they might have died from a stroke a heartattack or cancer. Its crazy. I know lots of people that got the virus. A few were very sick. A few were very weak but the majority had no symptoms whatsoever. Yes it's dangerous. Yes it can kill but the vast majority will be fine.

CiarraiMick (Dublin) - Posts: 3675 - 22/03/2021 15:15:45    2334716

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Replying To Lockjaw:  "Yeah exactly. It's like the Episode in Father Ted when Dougal is stuck on the milk float - "Is there anything to be said for saying another mass?" except for us it's lockdown after lockdown.

I know that vaccine supply is an issue, and that we're part of the overall EU supply - but there's a reason governments are elected in the first place. They need to lean on these pharma companies and start exerting a bit of influence. We were good little EU soldiers when it came to the last 5 years of Brexit negotiations and we also give the pharma companies that operate here very generous tax rates. Plus, get that feckin hotel quarantine for incoming international travelers sorted once and for all. It beggars belief that we're over a year into this bloody thing and they STILL haven't it sorted.

Like you say, if we had something along the lines of the below, it would keep people on track and we might finally get ahead of this damn virus. (I just jotted these down very much at the top of my head, but you get the idea - it would give people hope and a wee bit more staying power than what we're seeing currently)

End of March - all over 80s and vulnerable vaccinated = 20km limit, GAA county players can train, golf and tennis allowed.
End of April - all over 70s vaccinated = travel within county allowed, inter county GAA games allowed
End of May - all over 60s vaccinated = inter county travel permitted, club GAA training allowed, outdoor dining allowed
End of June - all over 50s vaccinated = club league can begin, outdoor pubs allowed
etc etc"
County Travel is a joke. Look at your own county. You can travel from Ballyliffan to below Bundoran or from The bridge in Strabane to Burtonport and the likes of us here in Carlow are two miles from Laois, three from Kildare. about nine from Wicklow and about ten from Kilkenny- how could that be right.

Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4318 - 22/03/2021 15:27:33    2334718

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Replying To Lockjaw:  "Yeah exactly. It's like the Episode in Father Ted when Dougal is stuck on the milk float - "Is there anything to be said for saying another mass?" except for us it's lockdown after lockdown.

I know that vaccine supply is an issue, and that we're part of the overall EU supply - but there's a reason governments are elected in the first place. They need to lean on these pharma companies and start exerting a bit of influence. We were good little EU soldiers when it came to the last 5 years of Brexit negotiations and we also give the pharma companies that operate here very generous tax rates. Plus, get that feckin hotel quarantine for incoming international travelers sorted once and for all. It beggars belief that we're over a year into this bloody thing and they STILL haven't it sorted.

Like you say, if we had something along the lines of the below, it would keep people on track and we might finally get ahead of this damn virus. (I just jotted these down very much at the top of my head, but you get the idea - it would give people hope and a wee bit more staying power than what we're seeing currently)

End of March - all over 80s and vulnerable vaccinated = 20km limit, GAA county players can train, golf and tennis allowed.
End of April - all over 70s vaccinated = travel within county allowed, inter county GAA games allowed
End of May - all over 60s vaccinated = inter county travel permitted, club GAA training allowed, outdoor dining allowed
End of June - all over 50s vaccinated = club league can begin, outdoor pubs allowed
etc etc"
I get the gist of it and it's a good rough idea of a forward thinking plan you have. Maybe we'll get something like this next week when we get an announcement as to what is happening after Easter but I won't hold my breath.
We need strong leadership and a logical, clear path out of this but it's hard to have any belief unfortunately.

Dubsfan28 (Dublin) - Posts: 2509 - 22/03/2021 15:30:30    2334719

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Replying To CiarraiMick:  "I don't get the media and the fear mongering. You are correct about alot of what you say Galway. The death toll in 2020 was the same as any other year. No increase despite this contagious virus that had killed thousands. Also if a person dies they are tested for covid. If a strain shows up they are registered as a covid death but they might have died from a stroke a heartattack or cancer. Its crazy. I know lots of people that got the virus. A few were very sick. A few were very weak but the majority had no symptoms whatsoever. Yes it's dangerous. Yes it can kill but the vast majority will be fine."
If people socially, distanced, stayed home and wore masks every other year the flu numbers would go through the floor as well. Just a bit of balance. On the other hand if precautions had never been taken at all, since Covid appeared, what would the figures dead be over the past year. The fact is almost every country -well with a few mad exceptions- in the World recognise their is an epidemic afoot.

Oldtourman (Limerick) - Posts: 4318 - 22/03/2021 16:17:02    2334721

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Replying To Oldtourman:  "If people socially, distanced, stayed home and wore masks every other year the flu numbers would go through the floor as well. Just a bit of balance. On the other hand if precautions had never been taken at all, since Covid appeared, what would the figures dead be over the past year. The fact is almost every country -well with a few mad exceptions- in the World recognise their is an epidemic afoot."
Oh I recognise there is a pandemic going on but what I don't get is the governments and media's coverage of the numbers deaths and so on. I know of an elderly person that died recently (it was expected) and he was rested afterwards for covid. This person's family were not happy about it. The test came back negative but if there was any trace of the virus found then the death would be a covid death although the person was dying anyway. I know of people found positive and the negative. There is so much uncertainty goi ng on with the whole scenario. Alot of covid deaths were people that would have died regardless. I would guess the real death toll from covid is only half what the figures show. There were no reported flu cases last year for first time ever in my lifetime. As I say yes it is a pandemic and yes like the flu it kills but most will be OK. I know alot of people that tested positive for the covid. Some had minor symptoms. 3 ended up in hospital (2 of them had underlying conditions) and one was very bad but OK now. All the rest had no symptoms at all.

CiarraiMick (Dublin) - Posts: 3675 - 22/03/2021 17:53:38    2334730

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Replying To CiarraiMick:  "I don't get the media and the fear mongering. You are correct about alot of what you say Galway. The death toll in 2020 was the same as any other year. No increase despite this contagious virus that had killed thousands. Also if a person dies they are tested for covid. If a strain shows up they are registered as a covid death but they might have died from a stroke a heartattack or cancer. Its crazy. I know lots of people that got the virus. A few were very sick. A few were very weak but the majority had no symptoms whatsoever. Yes it's dangerous. Yes it can kill but the vast majority will be fine."
Definitely, in no way do I want to be interpreted as saying we shouldn't take it seriously, of course we should, no less than heart issues, cancer etc. And of course it has the capacity to kill,, I'm not a conspiracy theorist who denies that the thing exists or anything.

Galway9801 (Galway) - Posts: 1705 - 22/03/2021 20:13:40    2334743

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I think the idea of dates is a great one,however there is no one available with that kind of forward thinking..I mean we just had a government minister wanting to change the bloody name of a newspaper,think priorities slightly wrong..I also think a lot of these so called experts have got used to publicity and don't want to let it go..it's amazing that the flu has almost disappeared but has been around for hundreds of years,think there are lies being told left,right and center..I fear for all of us next week because I'll be totally shocked if there are any real changes to what is being done now..the only expert I half listen to now is Luke o neill..the majority of people are doing as they are told but then we hear we have to do more..heaven bloody help us..

CTGAA10 (Limerick) - Posts: 2214 - 22/03/2021 21:05:12    2334753

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There is a virus, there's always a virus, and there always will be a virus. I'm old but I'd rather be dead than live like this. It is wrong.

lilypad (Kildare) - Posts: 1363 - 22/03/2021 21:17:39    2334756

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Replying To AfricanGael:  "When you see officials still scurrying around Dublin looking for quarantine hotels and the British having tens of millions already vaccinated, it really does expose Ireland and shows it to be what it really is. Lord knows what state Ireland would be in without foreign aid and being a tax haven for multinationals, Dublin's biggest employer would still be Arthur Guinness and the docks.

A question often asked is how so many Irish people who left the country can go abroad and thrive, but yet in their own country nothing seems to be run professionally. Is it because the smart ones leave and the sleveens stay at home ?

Because of the common travel area , the British have offered to go to Ireland and vaccinate the whole population once they have wrapped up their own programme in the next couple of months. Will the Irish Government accept this offer from it's neighbour or carry on down the blind alley. I don't expect them to make the right call."
In fairness that's the least the Brits could do as they have taken about 10 million vaccines from the EU and not aloud 1 shot of the vaccines in Europe. When I see the Taoiseach this evening saying we shouldn't ban Vaccines sales from the EU to GB it would make your blood boil and we can see why Ireland will be the last place in Europe to be vaccinated. It's time for the government to start pulling it's weight and not throwing everything on to the people to restrict our actions. 3 more months of this lockdown will just be ignored by people because our leadership is totally inept.

updwell (Limerick) - Posts: 817 - 22/03/2021 21:32:08    2334757

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Replying To CTGAA10:  "I think the idea of dates is a great one,however there is no one available with that kind of forward thinking..I mean we just had a government minister wanting to change the bloody name of a newspaper,think priorities slightly wrong..I also think a lot of these so called experts have got used to publicity and don't want to let it go..it's amazing that the flu has almost disappeared but has been around for hundreds of years,think there are lies being told left,right and center..I fear for all of us next week because I'll be totally shocked if there are any real changes to what is being done now..the only expert I half listen to now is Luke o neill..the majority of people are doing as they are told but then we hear we have to do more..heaven bloody help us.."
Yeah, just to take up that point re experts enjoying publicity. Some of these doctors have become like rock stars this mast year, they've never been more revered by so many. Many people however learned they are in a given field will become seduced by that stuff,and will want to hold on to it.

And this whole "expert" thing. What is an expert? It's a vague term. The experts were telling people to buy houses in 2007,they said smoking camel cigarettes was harmless for years before it was disproven , that Clinton would win easily in 2016, avd don't even get me started on the bloody meteorological experts we have here lol.

Galway9801 (Galway) - Posts: 1705 - 22/03/2021 21:40:01    2334759

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Replying To AfricanGael:  "When you see officials still scurrying around Dublin looking for quarantine hotels and the British having tens of millions already vaccinated, it really does expose Ireland and shows it to be what it really is. Lord knows what state Ireland would be in without foreign aid and being a tax haven for multinationals, Dublin's biggest employer would still be Arthur Guinness and the docks.

A question often asked is how so many Irish people who left the country can go abroad and thrive, but yet in their own country nothing seems to be run professionally. Is it because the smart ones leave and the sleveens stay at home ?

Because of the common travel area , the British have offered to go to Ireland and vaccinate the whole population once they have wrapped up their own programme in the next couple of months. Will the Irish Government accept this offer from it's neighbour or carry on down the blind alley. I don't expect them to make the right call."
"A question often asked is how so many Irish people who left the country can go abroad and thrive, but yet in their own country nothing seems to be run professionally."

Now that you asked that question (apologies for diversion from covid all I can do is tell my story.
The company I worked for in Ireland decided they were going to close and shift the business outside of the country. It was running totally in efficient. Two of us new this and decided we would do something about it. We did our home work that showed the same amount of production could be done on a day shift with one third of the work force and hopefully grow back in time. It was going to take money. We were going to remortgage our homes but that in itself would not be enough. We approached some people to come on board to finance and be directors.
With a full plan and backers we then approached the IDA. The guy we felt was scoffing at us. A week latter he contacted us told us the company would send the product into Ireland and give it away for free to break us. The cost of the product doubled after they shut the doors. The only thing they left with was a machine we designed and built to do a specific job which they latter back engineered to reproduce. Never blamed that company but was always soured by the attitude of the IDA executive. We realized we made a terrible mistake as we went and met with him on a day we were working in our working close and hence the scoffing. All we need was a little help.
Six months later in 1988 I left with my family and never worked another day in Ireland. No sour grapes as I love it. However it is the country of my origin now and my allegiance lies else where.

Canuck (Waterford) - Posts: 2658 - 22/03/2021 21:50:53    2334760

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