Hi Tom
A balanced report from Paul Cullen in the Irish Times
2020 in review: Our lockdown strategy was blunt and short-term, but mostly it worked
www.irishtimes.com
What We Got Right - What THEY Got Wrong probably deserves a devoted thread to itself. The Irish Times article is just a filler in the holiday season where the writers get some valued time off.
What We Got Right:- 1. Back in February we knew an outbreak of the coronavirus was inevitable although I remember listening to a doctor on a radio interview saying there was 50% of a chance of Ireland becoming infected. We're a resolute country and the people appeared to be prepared for a battle. We clapped the Frontline Workers from our doorsteps almost weekly. We closed our schools fully during March.
2. Restrictions were imposed and presto motor traffic was negligible. Many started to work from home. Pubs closed along with the restaurants and hairdressers etc followed suit.
3. People (well most people) watched out for each other. When "Wear the Mask" instruction came out we embraced it. We used sanitisers when entering whatever shops were allowed to remain open.
4. We watched the news daily and around 6.00pm compared figures of Covid deaths, infection, hospitalisation, Intensive Care Unit admissions etc. The R figure propped up and daily infection rate per 100,000 were noted.
5. Compared to our nearest country we were striding way ahead. The UK government appeared to be getting everything wrong while ours were getting things right.
6. Weddings were cancelled and those that went ahead did so with very limited numbers of guests. Funerals were also confined to low numbers of people attending. Church services went online.
7. We took to the new reality like our lives depended on it and they did.
8. The main thing we got right was Tony Holohan along with NPHET. I should have put this at number 1.
9. The vaccine was acquired early and the rollout happened earlier than what was expected.
10. The country compensated those who lost their jobs because of the pandemic.
What We Got Wrong:- 1. Gardaí were slow to raid pubs that remained trading. Some restaurants sold alcohol only and ignored the €9.00 substantial meal bit. Some pubs opened fully and allowed people to buy pizzas "next door" to be consumed with a load of pints in the pub. Some traders looked for "flaws" in the restrictions and drove on. These were the people who later advised that drinking alcohol in a controlled environment out performed home drinking. Many students ran their weekly/daily parties strangely called Covid Parties.
2. The Famous Golf Outing. Some had the decency to resign. Others refused to resign. Immediately, a "If-they-can-do-it-We-can-do-it" syndrome was reborn. This was exploited by many who couldn't care a whit.
3. We allowed people to travel abroad for their holidays on condition they self isolated on their return. If you can convince this writer that all of them self isolated you're some convincing person. We allowed holidaymakers into Ireland and to roam wherever they wished. We even failed to keep track of them.
4. Further restrictions were imposed during the summer, but motor traffic levels increased from the first set of restrictions. Less people worked from home. Some hairdressers/barbers continued to work from their homes.
5. Along the way Ireland placed Commercial decisions above Health decisions.
6. Days before Tony Holohan returned to work from his Special Leave he advised for immediate stricter restrictions. Mr Varadkar and Mr Martin threw Tony under the bus and informed him that he and NPHET were there in an advisory capacity only. Tony returned to work with his tail between his legs although he got some vocal support from some of us on this forum.
7. The infection rate per day was to be between 50 and 100 before restrictions were eased in the early days of December. The infections continued at 200+ daily and still the restrictions were eased. In the past few days the infections rose to near 1300 in one day alone and are still at an unacceptable level.
8. On too many occasions the government listened to too many business people most of which they should have ignored.
9. Some are saying that we are in Phase 3 of the pandemic. That's wrong we're still in the First Phase; we've just got some things wrong.