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Ireland now possibly exporting the virus. Woman from Taiwan spent almost two weeks in Ireland and a few days in Belgium and tested positive after returning home. https://www.cdc.gov.tw/En/Bulletin/Detail/nstacUgxMxU8m07WNf9CUA?typeid=158 Taiwan has 49 cases in total; Ireland 70.

European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control: News and Publications. https://www.ecdc.europa.eu/en

I've added a link with further details on the above to the "Government Response" thread, since that seems a better place for this topic than the "News" one.

For a different model of how to prepare for/deal with coronavirus than was adopted in Europe see https://www.wired.com/story/singapore-was-ready-for-covid-19-other-countries-take-note/ Key elements are immigration/travel controls and early widespread testing, along with social distancing...

It makes no sense not to test people with relevant symptoms. That has been the approach taken by S.Korea, Singapore and Taiwan. The WHO expanded their guidelines back in February to say that testing should be expanded to include general surveillance and for flu-like symptoms. This seems to have...

Very interesting. An article on the German study referenced can be found here: https://www.statnews.com/2020/03/09/people-shed-high-levels-of-coronavirus-study-finds-but-most-are-likely-not-infectious-after-recovery-begins/ Basically the WHO etc. were really set up to fight the last war - a...

One clarification to my previous post, in case anyone knows somebody who may be returning to the US. The proclamation does not address quarantine issues - that will be dealt with by a separate Dept of Homeland Security notice, expected in a day or two. For travel from China self-quarantine was...

US restricts travel from Schengen area: [broken link removed] These are exactly the same restrictions imposed by the US on China on Jan 31 (when China had 10,000 cases). Schengen area now has 17,000 cases. Ireland and UK excluded for political/"special relationship" reasons I guess - no reason...

Reading some reports it seems as if Italy has double the number of ICU beds (13/100,000 people vs 6/100,000) compared to Ireland. One problem in Italy is that 80% of the cases are in 20% of the regions - there may be availble ICU beds in Rome etc. but they are not going to transfer patients from...

From journal.ie report: "Speaking this evening, health officials said ‘socially restrictive actions’ – visitor bans – at nursing homes are not necessary and were not recommended by health authorities. Dr Tony Holohan said it would be appropriate that they be lifted." Many countries have...

The issue with public parades is not so much that the people who attend may get infected (that's their choice) but that they may go on to infect people who didn't attend - e.g. a few days later they sit beside someone on the bus or train and transmit the virus to someone else. That's why I don't...

"Asked about the conditions of patients, Mr Holohan said they had not done an analysis, but there was no reason to believe the picture here was different to the international situation where most cases were mild" 80% of cases are mild/moderate (not "mild"); 20% severe/critical. But nobody wants...

The HSE have made some basic mistakes. 1) Lab Test criteria Since Feb 24 the WHO have recommended expanded testing based on symptoms not just travel history/close contact with known cases, with the following recommendation: Immediately expand surveillance to detect COVID-19 transmission...

Some additional comments: A useful way to view the Fair Deal scheme is as a means-tested government subsidy. Depending on assets/income the subsidy in a given year may turn out to be zero, but you can never be "worse off" using the Fair Deal scheme than paying privately. The worst that can...

Interesting thread - as a follow-up question in cases where CGT is payable (i.e. the sale price is greater than the value on date of death) can some/all of the CGT paid be set off against any CAT payable? Case 1) Executor sells house and distributes the proceeds to a beneficiary. Is the value...

In this scenario the cash assets are €36K higher, taking the exemption into account. As you say these savings would run out after about 2 years and then the loan would be needed. If the loan was taken out at the start I think it would save money. The same principle applies even if there were...

Thanks for that - the whole "additional charges" issue is a topic by itself, and there seems quite a range between different nursing homes on this. Let me give a specific example of using the loan to get the 'fair deal' rate: - Fair Deal rate: €1200/wk - Private rate: €1400/wk - Assessed...

Many nursing homes have both a "fair deal rate" and a "private rate", which can be up to €200/week higher. The fair deal scheme allows for someone to apply for the loan ('ancillary state support') even if not eligible for any subsidy ('state support'). This would seem to imply that there is an...

Yes that's the link - thanks.

There's no doubt the operation of the Fair Deal scheme throws up some anomalies, discussed before in previous threads on this forum, that could lead people to feel aggrieved. For example someone who has lived in the cash economy all their life, paid little tax, has no declared assets but always...