China Coronavirus

[sid waddell]

Lock it down until Paddy's Day, preferably the day after Paddy's Day

[dublin7]

Lock it down until Paddy's Day, preferably the day after Paddy's Day

I was talking to the owner of my local just before Christmas and she was hoping to get to the 28th Dec before shutting up again. She expects this lockdown to last until Paddy's day for pubs

[imtommygunn]

NI had highest ever number of cases today,very unlikely with those timelines that source was schools
There is definitely a political agenda on the schools

I am not sold that there is. If this is rife then schools have a lot of scope to spread it round. Also schools stopped when? Last week?  Don't get me wrong I think less lockdown is the big contributor here (plus look at any other country locally and the numbers are rife so something like new variant or something else must be at play).

I wouldn't want to see schools shut but I don't think it can be ruled out that they are either a factor or could in future be a factor.

[armaghniac]

If Covid is rampant in any area then schools should be shut. This should not mean that they are shut in areas with much less Covid, children from closed areas are not going to start going to schools in areas that are still open.
Also England is distinguishing between primary and secondary schools and this seems sensible.

[imtommygunn]

I would agree. I just don't get how it is always ruled out. Yes it is not THE big source of it but if there is a big source of it in your area it is not going to help.

Agreed on primary secondary.

The executive seem to have no ability to make more granular decisions on lockdowns so seem to go for the blanket approach.(E.g. I could never see them doing the primary / secondary distinction here). (They basically go far too stringent on some stuff and then just ignore other stuff - e.g. what is an essential business etc)

[Smurfy123]

Even when the schools were open we had days when the cases were in and around 250 that would make you think. It's not the schools that's driving it. In saying that I think a hard lockdown for 3 weeks with all schools closing and then get the schools back for the last 2 weeks of lockdown.
After the 6 weeks I think things will look a lot better. With numbers lower and the vaccine starting to show signs of working.
Pubs and restaurants will be after St Patrick's day
By Easter all will be open

[Seaney]

Even when the schools were open we had days when the cases were in and around 250 that would make you think. It's not the schools that's driving it. In saying that I think a hard lockdown for 3 weeks with all schools closing and then get the schools back for the last 2 weeks of lockdown.
After the 6 weeks I think things will look a lot better. With numbers lower and the vaccine starting to show signs of working.
Pubs and restaurants will be after St Patrick's day
By Easter all will be open

You advising governments around the world?

[Seaney]

If Covid is rampant in any area then schools should be shut. This should not mean that they are shut in areas with much less Covid, children from closed areas are not going to start going to schools in areas that are still open.
Also England is distinguishing between primary and secondary schools and this seems sensible.

And the kids locked in their rooms and their parents/ guardians shot if they leave the house and their mental well being should be cast a drift like so many others so you can go into work and do f**k all.

[Seaney]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-55491806

So all back.

[Smurfy123]

Seany you haven't a note lad
Have you ever debated anything yet

[ONeill]

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-55491806

So all back.

I was expecting to go back before this.

[RadioGAAGAA]

Even when the schools were open we had days when the cases were in and around 250 that would make you think. It's not the schools that's driving it.

No single thing is "driving it".

Of all the various contributors, schools is one of the bigger ones. The bigger problem with schools - and one the media aren't bright enough to realise and tackle the idiotic politicians on - is that the spreaders will be largely asymptomatic - mean it is much harder to identify how X, Y and Z (who are showing symptoms) contracted the virus.

Added to this is the utterly idiotic approach of "only get tested when you have symptoms" - when the proportion of asymptomatic cases is anywhere between 8 and 75% (various sample studies) - even the most simple of simpletons can see how needing symptoms for a test is as useful as going fishing with half your net cut away.

[Downtothewire]

NI had highest ever number of cases today,very unlikely with those timelines that source was schools
There is definitely a political agenda on the schools

I am not sold that there is. If this is rife then schools have a lot of scope to spread it round. Also schools stopped when? Last week?  Don't get me wrong I think less lockdown is the big contributor here (plus look at any other country locally and the numbers are rife so something like new variant or something else must be at play).

I wouldn't want to see schools shut but I don't think it can be ruled out that they are either a factor or could in future be a factor.

Of course there is a political agenda. Just ask any teacher or indeed pupil how many Covid cases they have had in post primary schools, it's crazy. Talking to teacher yesterday and she was telling me out of 64 in her GCSE year all but 15 had confirmed cases since September. If these numbers were in an office workplace it would be closed and everyone working from home. My view is every time we go into lockdown or severe limiting restrictions schools should close.

[armaghniac]

Even when the schools were open we had days when the cases were in and around 250 that would make you think. It's not the schools that's driving it.

No single thing is "driving it".

Of all the various contributors, schools is one of the bigger ones. The bigger problem with schools - and one the media aren't bright enough to realise and tackle the idiotic politicians on - is that the spreaders will be largely asymptomatic - mean it is much harder to identify how X, Y and Z (who are showing symptoms) contracted the virus.

Added to this is the utterly idiotic approach of "only get tested when you have symptoms" - when the proportion of asymptomatic cases is anywhere between 8 and 75% (various sample studies) - even the most simple of simpletons can see how needing symptoms for a test is as useful as going fishing with half your net cut away.

There is no evidence internationally that schools are one of the biggest drivers. However, as you say, this "only get tested when you have symptoms" is complete bollix, if a child gets it then those in their class should be tested, at least.
This "only get tested when you have symptoms" means that there could be another 1000 in the North with Covid today.

[imtommygunn]

I'm not even sure that all schools are mandating kids with symptoms get tested never mind kids without them. (*case study of 3 schools)