The Coronavirus

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If the match doesn't go ahead there's nothing , at the moment, to stop those Italians with flights and accommodation already booked coming over here for the weekend.
The Government response seems a bit made up as they go along (although maybe what else can they do). But if the Rugby should be cancelled then cancel it, don't just invite the IRFU to cancel it. I guess they are more worried about compensation claims than the Coronavirus. Offer future flight vouchers or some such to those who were due to travel from Italy for the match.
 
The Government response seems a bit made up as they go along (although maybe what else can they do). But if the Rugby should be cancelled then cancel it, don't just invite the IRFU to cancel it. I guess they are more worried about compensation claims than the Coronavirus. Offer future flight vouchers or some such to those who were due to travel from Italy for the match.

Of course they're worried about how they word something like this and yes, people wouldn't be long in looking for lolly, neither would hotels, b/b's, hotels, airlines, etc, etc, etc. They advised the appropriate organisation on what they SHOULD do. What do you you want them to do? Close down the country?
 
But if they are going to cancel the rugby on the 7th March, I presume Patricks Day on the 7th March is also cancelled. I also presume Ministers will not be travelling as most companies are now enforcing travel bans or essential travel only. If we are cancelling the rugby to stop Italians travelling, I presume the DOFA is not advising people not to travel to Italy or checking people travelling from Italy at our Ports. I was on a train this morning with a load of Italian students. Why are they allowed come but rugby supporters can't? The whole thing smacked of an organisation and politicians trying to convince people, they were in control.
 
They advised the appropriate organisation on what they SHOULD do. What do you you want them to do? Close down the country?
One has to ask who has a better handle on the situation, the IRFU or the National Public Health Emergency Team. If it's the latter and they say the match should be cancelled then they should insist on same rather than invite the IRFU, who have a vested interest, to decide.
But if they are going to cancel the rugby on the 7th March, I presume Patricks Day on the 17th March is also cancelled. I also presume . .
That they can't do everything is not a reason to do nothing. But woolly non-decisions and hand-wringing is no good to anyone. I'm not overly confident in the politicians involved either.
 
One has to ask who has a better handle on the situation, the IRFU or the National Public Health Emergency Team. If it's the latter and they say the match should be cancelled then they should insist on same rather than invite the IRFU, who have a vested interest, to decide.

That they can't do everything is not a reason to do nothing. But woolly non-decisions and hand-wringing is no good to anyone. I'm not overly confident in the politicians involved either.

Thankfully you didn't run for election so didn't have to make decisions for the rest of the country. Simply a matter of not getting carried away with all the hysteria at the moment.
 
I was on a train this morning with a load of Italian students. Why are they allowed come but rugby supporters can't?

As usually happens when events like this are cancelled, the vast majority of those rugby supporters will travel to Ireland that weekend. Why wouldn't they?
 
They advised the appropriate organisation on what they SHOULD do. What do you you want them to do? Close down the country?

Exactly, this isn't a dictatorship yet thankfully. If the government try to take disproportionate measures, we'll all end up paying for it.
 
As usually happens when events like this are cancelled, the vast majority of those rugby supporters will travel to Ireland that weekend. Why wouldn't they?

But that's the point. Why cancel the match unless you are putting in a travel ban. Are you more at risk going to Aviva stadium than 20 Italian supporters deciding to come over and do a pub crawl in Temple bar that weekend. Calling off the match makes no sense.
 
Why cancel the match unless you are putting in a travel ban.

Because people are demanding the government do something, asking for the match to be cancelled is a grand gesture that let's them tick that box. There is currently no justification for a comprehensive travel ban. Since the first confirmed case in Italy, around 50,000 people have taken direct scheduled flights from Italy to Ireland, many more taking indirect routes and holiday charters (busy time for skiing tours). But we're worried about the 5,000 or so expected to travel for the match for some reason... :rolleyes:
 
If you infect 5 random people on a flight of 200 that's a bad problem, if you infect 5 random people out of 50,000 that's a terrible problem. In terms of containment it is 250 times worse.

In the first instance the health authorities have some chance of back tracking over contacts and containing the spread, in the second even if you know it's due to the match you've much less chance of containing the subsequent spread.

A pointless match against Italy (they exist in the competition solely to create 3 matches a weekend) versus still unlikely but possible community spread of this virus. It's not really a choice - cancel the match.
 
If you infect 5 random people on a flight of 200 that's a bad problem, if you infect 5 random people out of 50,000 that's a terrible problem. In terms of containment it is 250 times worse.

In the first instance the health authorities have some chance of back tracking over contacts and containing the spread, in the second even if you know it's due to the match you've much less chance of containing the subsequent spread.

A pointless match against Italy (they exist in the competition solely to create 3 matches a weekend) versus still unlikely but possible community spread of this virus. It's not really a choice - cancel the match.

50,000 people don't all get into one big cuddle at a match. One Italian tourist with coronavirus in a crowded pub with 700 people is as dangerous as one Italian supporter with coronavirus sitting in the Aviva Stadium watching a match. There is no logic to what they are saying. Ross saying the match needs to be cancelled but we will look at St Patricks Day nearer the time. It is 10 days later. If their logic is 'we can't be encouraging people to travel' as Simon Harris is saying, then there is no reason why they shouldn't cancel St Patricks Day celebrations right now as well. The decision just smacks of people desperate to make a statement of intent to show they are taking it seriously.
 
The decision just smacks of people desperate to make a statement of intent to show they are taking it seriously.

Exactly, it's a nonsense move to placate scaremongers. Has anyone calling for the rugby to be cancelled started quarantining themselves and their families yet? That includes going to the shops you know, far more people pass through your average supermarket that the Aviva! Then add in those in the supply chain visiting multiple supermarkets and you have a cross-contamination potential in the millions!
 
Hope the pubs don't refuse to serve the Italian tourist travellers/fans when they come and be then brought up before a judge for not serving them. :)
 
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Exactly, it's a nonsense move to placate scaremongers.
Any possibility it's the genuine considered opinion of the National Public Health Emergency Team?
Has anyone calling for the rugby to be cancelled started quarantining themselves and their families yet?
It's the National Public Health Emergency Team calling for the rugby to be cancelled. I guess (hope) they have more pertinent information than the general public. The current European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control advice on what constitutes close contact is interesting. Reading it I'd expect more chance of contagion in the Aviva than in Aldi.
 
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