Messages

"The vaccination roll-out will directly influence when our games can fully return to normal and this is not forecasted to be complete until late 2021. Our ability to generate income will remain challenged and may not return to previous levels until Summer 2022 at the earliest." A quote from GAA finance director yesterday. I just can't see the government or GAA allowing thousands of unvaccinated 18-35 year olds mix playing close contact sports anytime soon. Something that not a lot of people are talking about is that this time, we are opening up to a more contagious dominant variant in the British one.
Can honestly see only county football being allowed anytime soon with testing for players in place, not sure if that's viable?

I presume that that quote refers to significant crowds going to games.  It doesn't refer to the playing of games. Think you're being overly-pessimistic there.  As ottoman has just posted a hugely significant part of the vaccination programme will be done by the autumn.  It must be very tempting for CP to stall the return of the inter-county game until then to see if crowds (even limited crowds) can be admitted to grounds.

Nobody wants lies. The nature of the delivery has to change. Like some on here the delivery of bad news seems to suit certain people.

This makes no sense whatsoever

I don't have the time or inclination to get into tit-for-tat posting that others do.  I think you know what I mean.

Nobody wants lies. The nature of the delivery has to change. Like some on here the delivery of bad news seems to suit certain people.  You can imagine older people especially sitting in the house hearing this news.  They were told that we could see the light at the end of the tunnel and now he goes off on a tangent making analogies about cars and they think they're looking at a further year sitting in the house despite the fact they've been vaccinated.  Depressing stuff.  It's messing with people's heads.
I presume that he's not talking about the full lockdown that we're experiencing at the minute continuing into next year.  Give people an idea of what restrictions he's talking about next winter.  Will pubs be closed? Maybe.  That's unlikely to annoy too many pensioners so let them know that non-essential shops will probably open with masks.  Cafes will be open with social distancing applied.  Golf Courses and other outdoor sports which are low risk would probably still be open.  Extenuate the positive, not the negative.  Give people something to look forward to instead of the opposite.

The North posts its best figures in some months today.

How does the CMO react?

Tells people that restrictions won't be fully lifted until 70-80% of population is vaccinated.

https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-northern-ireland-56000840

There are some people very happy in the limelight during this pandemic. This gentleman is one.

Whilst I can see that the CMOs' roles both north and south is to keep a lid on things and be cautious they do need to bear people's mental health in mind when delivering their news. I do think they overcook the negativity and could present their opinions in a more balanced way.

only 95% effective? Benny check the effective % for the flu each year and how effective vaccines was on previous viruses to see how remarkable it is to have one with 95%.

its unreal how well they've done to get vaccines with that high a percentage, some people just want to listen to the doom and gloom, there is so much to be positive about with regards where we are at the minute. Personally I have stopped watching the news on BBC ITV or sky, they just want negativity all the time, its actually a disgrace how they get away with being so negative in a time where people need reassurance. For balance I stick on the Channel 4 news at 7 most evenings, balanced and far better put across than the other broadcasters. We're nearly there, light at the end of the tunnel, lets keep the positivity.

!00%.  Somebody needs to have a word with Tony Hoolahan as well. 

But they say the vaccine at best is only 95% effective (I doubt it's even close to that). NZ clearly have a near 100% success with their quarantine laws, and the country has been covid free for months (bar 1 or 2 cases). So their methods are much more effective than any vaccine will be.

Heard an Irishwoman in NZ say there's a 7/8 week wait to book a quarantine hotel, and it costs $3000 per adult. So let's face it, international travel as we knew is finished.

If I was from NZ, I'd be more than happy with what they're doing. Everywhere is opened, economy going well, except international tourism, which is a small price price to pay knowing people are stopped at entry points and the virus stopped completely.

There's no reason to doubt that the vaccine is close to 95% effective.  There is real world data coming from Israel saying that it is 92% effective so it's there for all to see.  I'd agree that anybody in NZ would be more than happy at the minute.  That's because the vast majority of the world is a mess with Covid.  If the rest of the world rectifies itself with the vaccines and international travel starts up again your average New Zealander will get itchy feet and start to request international travel (probably in and around the next Rugby World Cup).  To say international travel as we know it is finished is OTT.  It will restart perhaps with additional measures (see post 9/11 air travel)

Mark Carruthers wiped the floor with Arlene tonight.

Yeah, he caught her well with the high percentages in the maunfacturing companies' survey.

He nailed her on the most important point - it's all about the constitutional issue and f*%k all to do with trade and business etc.

Watched it there now and he set her up like a good one and she was too dumb to see it and hoisted her on her own petard..

She's poor at this stuff when the interviewer knows their stuff.

Wonder will Carruthers get threatened like William Crawley for not following the loyalist narrative...

We called the lack of questioning of the DUP on the airwaves out a few pages back johnny but in fairness Carruthers did a great job.  He is the best interviewer out there and I rarely miss him.  He nails all of the politicians in fairness.

DUP want the NI protocol binned but that ship has sailed when they sunk Theresa May to appease the ERG, the dickheads.

That's it in a nutshell right there but I have yet to hear any journalist/commentator pinning them on that.  They had free trade with both the EU and GB under May's deal with the business sector jumping up and down telling them to take it.  They turned their back on it for a harder Brexit.  It's frustrating that they're getting a free ride on this.

So it looks like you get more protection from naturally surviving Covid, than the vaccine (oxford)?

https://news.sky.com/story/covid-19-virus-antibodies-last-for-at-least-six-months-after-infection-study-finds-12207174

https://news.sky.com/story/oxford-vaccine-may-have-67-effect-on-transmission-and-protection-remains-for-three-month-jab-interval-12206734

Not actually sure if this is good or bad news.

It's hard to know but can only think that any resistance at this stage is better than none.

I would consider that the UK playing a dangerous game with the 12 week gap, going against all other advice on the matter.

They are doing such a massive job on getting the 1st jab done, are they risking limiting this impact by waiting another 12 weeks? The stats to date suggesting they are in the vulnerable categories before the new variants are to be considered.

The data from Israel compared to UK over coming weeks will be key for research groups into this.

What they're saying is the data is backing the gap between doses in the AstraZeneca jab.  They are saying that the wait of 12 weeks is working with that jab. 
GetOverTheBar has misread what the article is saying. It's not that the anitibodies that the AstraZeneca jab lasts JUST 3 months, it's that it lasts the three months between the jabs.  They are taking a gamble on leaving a 12 week gap between Pfizer jabs.  There is no data to back that decision.
The AstraZeneca news is really encouraging in fact.  It will bring the pandemic to an end much quicker.  There is one massive caveat to it though, the variants.  The race is on to get this vaccine campaign completed before they become the dominant strain.

Took my Dad in for his first vaccination yesterday.
He got the Astro Zenica one and isn't due to get the second dose till the first week in April, 10 weeks away.

So, if we're being told that the first dose may only offer 30% of immunity based on the figures coming out if Israel and then it takes a further 10 days after the second dose to get the immunity up into the high 90's (this was initially based on the two doses being three weeks apart though) and my Da's circumstances are the norm, then I think we're going to be in lockdowns of one form or another till mid to late April...

The Israel figure of 30% immunity is based on the Pfizer jab not the AstraZeneca one.  The AstraZeneca one was trialled with a longer break so the data is there for a decent immunity level after the first jab.  It appears as if winging it with a bigger gap between the doses on the Pfizer jab is the wrong call.  They did this without any trial data.

Definitely some worrying news starting to filter through about the vaccine. An uneven spread of distribution around the world which defeats the purpose of immunisation. A delay in the Astra vaccine in Ireland until mid February at the earliest and probably worst of all is reports from Israel that they believe one dose of the Pfizer vaccine is giving just 33% efficacy. If we are in this for the long haul then surely closing borders, 14 day hotel quarantine and letting us get on with it is the only viable option.

That's not quite true. What they said was if the 2nd dose is given within the 14 days of the 1st dose as recommended then the vaccine is performing as advertised by Pfizer.

People who received the 2nd dose after the 14 day recommended limit (like the UK) see a significant drop off in the perfomance of the vaccine and that's were they are getting the 33% efficacy figure

Doing a bit of reading up on this myself.  It looks as if meddling with when the second dose of the Pfizer vaccine is given will turn out to be a mistake.

Itchy is going over the top in some of the things he's said but one of the main points that I agree with him on is the lack of a proactive response from the teacher's unions to see how best things can work in a classroom.  Remote learning is only marginally better than nothing.  The teacher's unions sound like the DUP in basically saying no to everything.  Engage with the Education Authority ( and it's equivalent in the south) and let's see how we can get more children into the schools whilst minimising the risk to the teaching staff.  Everyone involved has had from March to get things organised but from the outside looking in this has played out like a typical public sector/heavily unionised mess.

For a start teachers want PPE. That's one thing. A proper test and trace system which doesn't exist at the moment. A proper definition of close contacts.

Doesn't seem unreasonable. Let the unions go to the Education Authority with a proposal on they see that working in the classroom.  If they are turned down by the EA shout it from the rooftops.  Ask the EA for reasons why they can't facilitate these requests if they can't.

Itchy is going over the top in some of the things he's said but one of the main points that I agree with him on is the lack of a proactive response from the teacher's unions to see how best things can work in a classroom.  Remote learning is only marginally better than nothing.  The teacher's unions sound like the DUP in basically saying no to everything.  Engage with the Education Authority ( and it's equivalent in the south) and let's see how we can get more children into the schools whilst minimising the risk to the teaching staff.  Everyone involved has had from March to get things organised but from the outside looking in this has played out like a typical public sector/heavily unionised mess.

It is funny as well that the education end of things seem to be down the list of concerns, a lot of people are pissed off that schools are closed because it messes up their babysitting service.

I think this is an unfair comment. I have three teenagers and the value of school for education, social, and mental health is paramount.  The value that is given to teachers both by them and us as parents has increased over the lockdown.  It is far from a simple babysitting service.  My eldest lost out on a university place due to the clusterfuck with exams last summer.  There is a massive value in the service our teachers offer society.  This brings a responsibility though, something that teaching unions need to bear in mind.

Until a significant percentage of the population of any country is vaccinated you can't open up as normal. The age of hospital admissions has lowered and covid patients in hospital are no longer just the elderly.

While some posters believe covid is no threat to anyone under 40 the numbers who are currently in hospital would show this clearly isn't the case.

You can't expect any government to make any statement today on what they plan to do in a months time as things can change so quickly. You only have to look at what happened in Ireland over christmas to see that. At the end of the month the government will review things to see where we are and hopefully an easing of restrictions.

I'd say they are hoping that the figures will have come down sufficiently by mid February that schools will be allowed back.  I'd say that will be the only thing they will release at that point.  They'll give that 2/3 weeks to see what effect that will have and maybe look to a further release of low risk measures like outdoor sport.  This will be a very gradual process.  Everyone's hope/expectation is that this is the last lockdown.  If they release this lockdown too quickly the governments run the risk of having to tighten measures again and if that were to happen there'd be uproar.