China Coronavirus

[seafoid]

https://www.ft.com/content/25da4c31-f79a-4aa2-a9c9-a5c31546e5df

According to the latest figures from the EU's European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control, Spain recorded 153 cases per 100,000 in the previous 14 days — compared with 121 for Malta, 96 for Luxembourg, 87 for Romania, 60 for France, 56 for Belgium, 22 for the UK and 20 for Germany.



Martin Blachier, an epidemiologist at Public Health Expertise in Paris, said his consultancy estimpl0ated that there were at present about 20,000 new infections a day in France (including the thousands confirmed by testing), compared with 400,000 a day at the height of the pandemic

[imtommygunn]

119 in 6 counties today, not so good, most European countries are less than that!  Covid seems to have done more damage to police barracks than the IRA campaign.

Any terrorist group would probably view this as the perfect attack. (Not a Jim Corr/ conspiracy  theory - an observation!)

[sid waddell]

It's quite fascinating how the so called "pro-life" campaign during the 8th Amendment has evolved into the anti-lockdown and anti-Covid restrictions campaign, ie. the pro-death camp

Calleary and Grealish, the only two TDs at the golf jolly in Clifden were both pro-8th Amendment

Phil Hogan wrote stridently in 2011: "Fine Gael is opposed to the legalistion of abortion"

Sean O'Rourke's views became obvious during the 2018 referendum campaign when he continually gave No campaigners a free ride

The I Own Her "Institute" are well known anti-lockdown, anti-restrictions people

Far right media outlet Gript.ie, which evolved out of 1992 anti-abortion whack jobs Youth Defence, continually agitates against restrictions

The loonies at the Customs House on Saturday are all anti-abortion fundamentalists

In the US, the anti-lockdown people are basically all anti-abortion

The link between anti-abortionism and anti-Covid restrictions is undeniable, they are both integral parts of the same right wing culture war

[armaghniac]

It's quite fascinating how the so called "pro-life" campaign during the 8th Amendment has evolved into the anti-lockdown and anti-Covid restrictions campaign, ie. the pro-death camp

Calleary and Grealish, the only two TDs at the golf jolly in Clifden were both pro-8th Amendment

Phil Hogan wrote stridently in 2011: "Fine Gael is opposed to the legalistion of abortion"

Sean O'Rourke's views became obvious during the 2018 referendum campaign when he continually gave No campaigners a free ride

The I Own Her "Institute" are well known anti-lockdown, anti-restrictions people

Far right media outlet Gript.ie, which evolved out of 1992 anti-abortion whack jobs Youth Defence, continually agitates against restrictions

The loonies at the Customs House on Saturday are all anti-abortion fundamentalists

In the US, the anti-lockdown people are basically all anti-abortion

The link between anti-abortionism and anti-Covid restrictions is undeniable, they are both integral parts of the same right wing culture war

Yes, some of these loonies believe in conspiracy theories connecting disparate events into an improbable story.

[seafoid]

It's quite fascinating how the so called "pro-life" campaign during the 8th Amendment has evolved into the anti-lockdown and anti-Covid restrictions campaign, ie. the pro-death camp

Calleary and Grealish, the only two TDs at the golf jolly in Clifden were both pro-8th Amendment

Phil Hogan wrote stridently in 2011: "Fine Gael is opposed to the legalistion of abortion"

Sean O'Rourke's views became obvious during the 2018 referendum campaign when he continually gave No campaigners a free ride

The I Own Her "Institute" are well known anti-lockdown, anti-restrictions people

Far right media outlet Gript.ie, which evolved out of 1992 anti-abortion whack jobs Youth Defence, continually agitates against restrictions

The loonies at the Customs House on Saturday are all anti-abortion fundamentalists

In the US, the anti-lockdown people are basically all anti-abortion

The link between anti-abortionism and anti-Covid restrictions is undeniable, they are both integral parts of the same right wing culture war

Great point.
At least they are a tiny minority in Ireland, unlike the US.

https://www.ft.com/content/1521cb7b-44fe-47f3-bdac-92372a8ef129

Donald Trump turned heads last week when he praised people who adhere to the QAnon conspiracy theory that claims Satan-worshipping paedophiles in powerful positions around the globe are gunning for the US president. "These are people that love our country," Mr Trump said at the White House. "They like me very much." Mr Trump was commenting after Marjorie Greene, a QAnon proponent, won a Republican primary in Georgia, before later distancing herself from the theory. She will almost certainly beat her Democratic opponent in the conservative district on November 3 — the same day that Mr Trump will face Joe Biden in the presidential election. After Mr Trump called Ms Greene a "future Republican star", Liz Cheney, the third-highest ranking Republican in the House of Representatives, said QAnon was "dangerous lunacy" that had no place in politics. Ben Sasse, a Nebraska Republican, went even further: "QAnon is nuts. And real leaders [would] call conspiracy theories conspiracy theories. If Democrats take the Senate in November, blow up the filibuster and pack the Supreme Court, garbage like this will be a big part of why they won."

Charlie Sykes, an influential conservative critic of Mr Trump, is in no doubt: "There is no going back after four years of Trump," he says. "It's not just that he has changed the party, the party has changed itself. We have a voter problem. We've already had a fight for the soul of the Republican party, [during the 2016 race] and lost," Mr Sykes says. "Now we're just haggling over the spoils."

[fearbrags]

Rules are only for plebs  😉
https://www.rte.ie/news/politics/2020/0825/1161161-phil-hogan/?fbclid=IwAR0iuuvzzxDfghY4yP2P2QF7OQ60kZkr6SwolPD3mvXWtEmTg2jQSeLgbh8

[lurganblue]

A few cases now starting to pop up around the sports teams in Lurgan, both Gaelic and Soccer.  Schools starting to go back.  It is all very clearly the beginning of the second wave, but the public panic seems to have now significantly reduced.  Has society now just accepted that we have to try and deal with this as best we can, while carrying on as close to the new normal as possible?

[tyroneman]

A few cases now starting to pop up around the sports teams in Lurgan, both Gaelic and Soccer.  Schools starting to go back.  It is all very clearly the beginning of the second wave, but the public panic seems to have now significantly reduced.  Has society now just accepted that we have to try and deal with this as best we can, while carrying on as close to the new normal as possible?

I think a lot of people just didn't take it seriously after the frst lockdown.

I've heard numerous people basically say it was a fuss over nothing as numbers turned out lower than forecast after the first lockdown....rather than acknowledge that it was actually the lockdown itself and people doing what they were supposed to be doing that kept the numbers low.

Like taking a flu jab then not believing the flu exists because you didn't get it.

[GetOverTheBar]

This will probably erupt, but honestly, people are just becoming sick of it.....every day, all day for past X months - constant negative news. It surely has an accumulative effect on the collective mindset.

Add in ridiculous rules like you can go on a bender as long as you buy a 9 euro pizza, but you can't go for a pint in a quiet country bar. People are becoming more and more pissed off with the constant nonsensical decisions being made. I can see mass disobedience on the horizon, maybe not this month or next. I know many more families financially ruined by Covid 19 than I know of families with those infected with Covid 19 which in itself is completely unacceptable.

I've worked in an office the whole way through this, everyone is of much the same opinion here. We have seen people at home on the beer having parties via whatever form of social media over the past few months, all paid of course. In the North here little to no deaths, hardly anybody in hospital. Of course there is going to be an acceptance or relaxation on that basis. We see our elected representatives in both sides of the border seemingly do as they please, as long as it suits them.

I hate the term 'second wave', by its very nature its a negative connotation. Covid 19 is never fully going away until such time if/when mass immunisation is complete, it's not like it has went away for a month or two here.

[Hound]

So the rule is you can go on a bender so long as you have a 9 inch pizza!!

That would be a ridiculous rule. But it's not the rule.

People are breaking the rules, maybe they're the ridiculous ones.

Country pubs will be let open in mid Sep I believe. They just couldn't risk opening any further last time with numbers going in the wrong direction and it being so close to schools re-opening.

although to be honest, it wasn't too difficult for pubs to open if they put their minds to it.
- phone line to take bookings and keep record of attendees
- table service only
- distance between tables
- provide food
- 2 hour slots for bookings

It was harsh, but probably the right call to not allow pubs to open who couldn't do the above. Cases will still come but need to be able to track them down quickly when they do.

[Franko]

So the rule is you can go on a bender so long as you have a 9 inch pizza!!

That would be a ridiculous rule. But it's not the rule.

People are breaking the rules, maybe they're the ridiculous ones.

Country pubs will be let open in mid Sep I believe. They just couldn't risk opening any further last time with numbers going in the wrong direction and it being so close to schools re-opening.

although to be honest, it wasn't too difficult for pubs to open if they put their minds to it.
- phone line to take bookings and keep record of attendees
- table service only
- distance between tables
- provide food
- 2 hour slots for bookings

It was harsh, but probably the right call to not allow pubs to open who couldn't do the above. Cases will still come but need to be able to track them down quickly when they do.

Do you have much experience of your typical country pub?

To say the sentence in bold and then follow with that list is a bit mad.

[GetOverTheBar]

BTW - That was an example....that wasn't a pro open the bar post. Just an example of some of the nonsensical stuff thus far.

I've seen bars open (not a bit of food in sight either), rammed in towns. Where 2 mile out the road a bar with about 6 people in it tops, at any one time can't open. Makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

[armaghniac]

BTW - That was an example....that wasn't a pro open the bar post. Just an example of some of the nonsensical stuff thus far.

I've seen bars open (not a bit of food in sight either), rammed in towns. Where 2 mile out the road a bar with about 6 people in it tops, at any one time can't open. Makes absolutely no sense whatsoever.

I made the point in the Golfgate thread that the hotel would probably not be prosecuted or penalised and that nobody there would lose their job.  They should at least be able to to say to pubs that are closed that they are enforcing the regulations on those that are open, but they don't really try.

But restaurants are different from pubs, you go to restaurant in a group and talk to that group with no interaction with other parties, you do not go to a restaurant to meet people. Pubs involve a whole other level of mixing.

[Rossfan]

The latest "Karen" theory is that Coronavirus  is obviously a scam because "the 81" went ahead with their dinner without any concerns.

[thewobbler]

The latest "Karen" theory is that Coronavirus  is obviously a scam because "the 81" went ahead with their dinner without any concerns.

If we can leave poor Karen out of this for a minute.

Golfgate saw a group awash with some of the most highly educated, highly connected, highly informed decisionmakers in the country come together to completely ignore the advice on social distancing, that has been drummed into us for 5 months.

Everyone in that room evaluated the social occasion as a risk worth taking.

They cannot be uninformed. Not in their roles. So does this mean they:

A. are extraordinarily stupid?, or
B. possess a God complex? or
C. understand the risk is negligible.


I don't think A is a reasonable position to take. There's nobody soft upstairs in that gathering. And by the way, having a different position on Covid does not make them stupid. Covid has evidentially been nowhere near as lethal as originally predicted.

So it's either B or C.


The answer is probably B. But I guarantee you that this gathering wouldn't have happened in April. As very few people trusted their inner God vs Covid then.