The pandemic is over (in Ireland)

[Del.Monte]

Great to see An Post leading the charge in pretending that it's business as usual with the removal of floor markings for social distancing although across the road in the Credit Union they remain in place. Meanwhile in Dunnes they seem to have done away with hand cleansing as the dispensers have been removed. It can't be long before they bring back the disgusting - uncovered - self service counter of sandwich fillers, coleslaw, tuna etc.

It's just amazing that with thousands of cases still be recorded daily that nothing has been learnt at all and so much for winding things down in an organised, phased basis. https://covid19ireland-geohive.hub.arcgis.com/

Is it my imagination but have the daily recorded figures largely disappeared from news bulletins?

[765489]

Any shops I was in yesterday I didn't notice any social distancing apart from the mask wearing. Great to see things returning to a bit of normality.

I'd love to know the stats on the icu end if things but can't seem to find these anywhere. The questions I have are

1. What is the breakdown of the covid variants people in ICU have
2. What is the breakdown of the age profile.
3. What is the breakdown of the current number in ICU that have been in ICU for say 6 to 8 weeks.

Was speaking to a friend of mine who's wife is a nurse and she said to him the hospitals are now able to treat most cases of people with severe covid symptoms with drugs once they administer it at the correct time.

It's a stark contrast here now to some other countries around the world going for more restrictions and bringing in mandatory vacincinations. Hard to understand it all.

[JONJO THE MISER]

Meanwhile in Dunnes they seem to have done away with hand cleansing as the dispensers have been removed. It can't be long before they bring back the disgusting - uncovered - self service counter of sandwich fillers, coleslaw, tuna etc.

I'm my local dunnes, the self service counter never left.
Love there potato salad in it.

[Del.Monte]

I'm my local dunnes, the self service counter never left.
Love there potato salad in it.

Yuck, even pre-pandemic I never, ever, bought anything from it and while I'm sure the potato salad etc. may be top drawer when put on the counter it's the added content contributed by the public that I don't fancy. I'm off for lunch now so I won't go into detail...

[Frank]

Then opportunity should be taken now for masks and sanitiser to remain forever as most people are manky.

[schmittel]

I was in Dublin yesterday to go to the rugby - full stadium, packed pubs, 4 deep at the bar, handshakes and hugs all round. It was tremendous!

[490808]

The Covid-19 virus thanks you for your service.

[schmittel]

The Covid-19 virus thanks you for your service.

Do you mean thanks in helping to spread it?

[490808]

Taoiseach thinks masks should still be worn even when not mandatory

I'm in full support of that. Already I notice more and more people getting unnecessarily close in shops and breathing down your neck as they push around you to get at some item that they want.

[Del.Monte]

Taoiseach thinks masks should still be worn even when not mandatory

I'm in full support of that. Already I notice more and more people getting unnecessarily close in shops and breathing down your neck as they push around you to get at some item that they want.

I haven't noticed anybody getting too close but then again I'm first in the door at 8am weekdays - when I have to go to the wretched supermarket - and out again ten minutes later.

[Banshee Bones]

Taoiseach thinks masks should still be worn even when not mandatory

I'm in full support of that. Already I notice more and more people getting unnecessarily close in shops and breathing down your neck as they push around you to get at some item that they want.

Have you considered donning a tin foil hat as well as a mask? Can't be too safe.

[Hairy-Joe]

Taoiseach thinks masks should still be worn even when not mandatory

I'm in full support of that. Already I notice more and more people getting unnecessarily close in shops and breathing down your neck as they push around you to get at some item that they want.

Yep I'm another that will still wear masks for a while. I've recently got three boxes of medical grade disposable masks.

Recently I went to s sporting event to help out at the event. I got almost to the door and when I saw what was happening, I turned around and left. I felt more comfortable leaving.

[peasant]

Yeah, the pandemic is over...

Or is it?

In work and my very limited social circle there now are more people sick, isolating or newly recovered than at any other point of the pandemic when it was officially "on".

With a high grade of vaccination and a somewhat less severe outcome if you do get infected, the decision has been made that it's time for all of us to get back to spending money locally to start raising the cash to pay for all of this. And hey ...if we get a bit of the ould herd immunity as a side effect we'll take that as well.

The people I feel sorry for are those with underlying conditions (those who can't realistically hope for a "mild dose" if and when they get this) ...because they've really been thrown to the wolves.

And yes, I shall be wearing a mask for quite a while yet ...A FFP2 one at that

[BadaBing]

Neighbours fully vaxxed, mother father and two sons. One son got Covid in early January, while house isolated, they where out of isolation end of January, well they are back in it now, wife has it and is very ill.
Meanwhile me and mine unvaxxed and nary a runny nose, make of that what you will.
Moderna and Pfizer share price plunging, vaccine trial data soon to be released, one can only speculate and it’s not going to be positive speculation.

[Del.Monte]

In Dunnes (Enniscorthy) first thing this morning - mask wearing now almost non-existent by staff - Mrs.Heffernan must be saving a fortune on face masks (assuming the company paid for them). Anyway, it just encourages me to continue to spend as little time and money as possible in their joke of a supermarket.

[Banshee Bones]

Oh no, dreaded normality...what about my various neuroses?

[Berties_Horse]

Symbolically, the relenting of mask-wearing severed the last link to the pandemic for this poster - outside of GP practice or hospital I ain't donning one again. Almost two stifling years finally in the rearview, feels good to be accorded individual choice across nearly every context. There won't be a nostalgia overload, renewed optimism about the future yet taking nothing for granted.

[490808]

In town this morning and wearing a mask. I'd say that mask wearing was a bit better than 50/50.

[quodec]

14000 cases today! To paraphrase someone, it hasn't gone away, you know!!!

[Del.Monte]

And the irony of the Friday Bank Holiday to thank everybody, especially frontline health care workers, for their efforts during the pandemic - by providing an excuse for another super spreader weekend of drinking and breathing all over each other...yuck. Add it to crowds back from Cheltenham and over from Scotland for the rugby and you have the perfect storm.

[Hairy-Joe]

And it'll go crazy in 10 days to 2 weeks after people go mad for the extra long weekend

[Del.Monte]

The cheerleaders for 'the pandemic is over' are very quiet these days with numbers out of control again - 64,000 since St.Patrick's Day! That useless clown Stephen Donnelly nowhere to be seen. The whole nonsense of doing away with mask wearing, social distancing etc. over night now being shown to be utterly irresponsible. Where is NEPHET - was it actually wound up? Is there anything to be said for another mass?

[Hairy-Joe]

Looks like I'm a few days out when I said the figures will go nuts. They've gone nuts already