Under EU regulation if an airline doesn't maintain 80% usage of an airport slot the airport can withdraw it. That regulation has now been put on hold and so the airlines are now able to suspend flights. To put that in perspective Aer Lingus's Heathrow slots are worth €1.2 billion or over half the value of the entire airline.
The government's response to Coronavirus
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Sophrosyne
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That is because the government is following WHO recommendations for international traffic, rather than ignoring them as other countries have done.
The WHO are the people taking the lead alright.
I have to say that given all the great work done by Bobo and Bob Geldof over the years it's great to see another rock band doing such great work on Covid-19.
Trinity College defends its decision to close... in summary "We listened to the experts, including our own":
www.rte.ie
The Trinity College decision to cancel lectures, and some smaller classes, goes beyond current Department of Health advice, which is that schools and colleges should remain open and that teaching should continue. Asked about this a spokesperson said the college had to follow "the best advice that is available to us". He said Trinity College was listening to the Health Service Executive, and also to the World Health Organization, as well as to experts from within its own academic staff.
First death of patient in Ireland with Covid-19
A woman with an underlying illness who contracted Covid-19 has died in the east of the country.
The Trinity College decision to cancel lectures, and some smaller classes, goes beyond current Department of Health advice, which is that schools and colleges should remain open and that teaching should continue. Asked about this a spokesperson said the college had to follow "the best advice that is available to us". He said Trinity College was listening to the Health Service Executive, and also to the World Health Organization, as well as to experts from within its own academic staff.
Nicola Sturgeon, on another reason to ban mass gatherings:
There is a “big question mark” over whether large-scale events such as football matches should go ahead as Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has warned. Sturgeon warned it is highly likely “significant numbers” of people will get the virus, with 36 cases confirmed in Scotland so far and the first case of community transmission north of the border reported on Wednesday.
She said that while cancelling mass gatherings did not have a significant impact on reducing the spread of the virus, such events tie up resources that could be used elsewhere. She told ITV’s Good Morning Britain:
There is a “big question mark” over whether large-scale events such as football matches should go ahead as Scotland’s first minister, Nicola Sturgeon, has warned. Sturgeon warned it is highly likely “significant numbers” of people will get the virus, with 36 cases confirmed in Scotland so far and the first case of community transmission north of the border reported on Wednesday.
She said that while cancelling mass gatherings did not have a significant impact on reducing the spread of the virus, such events tie up resources that could be used elsewhere. She told ITV’s Good Morning Britain:
We now have a situation where there are different containment measures for the Six counties and the Republic. An invisible line in the ground separates us.
Being an island, should we not try and work together?
Ceist Beag
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Who said we're not trying to work together? The Irish Government cannot make decisions for the people of NI. However there is no doubt plenty of collaboration going on behind the scenes between the health organisations and politicians on both sides.
I take it that you are referring to Ireland when you talk about "the Republic" and Northern Ireland when you talk about the "Six counties"?
Why can't you refer to this country by its correct title? (By the way "The Republic of Ireland" is the name of a football team, not a country).
Anyway, we are and will continue to work closely with the UK. There are around 40 flights a day from the UK to Dublin. I don't think Northern Ireland is our main concern.
A joint announcement today about school closures and attendance at events would have shown that we are working together. This suggests to me that there is not much collaboration......but you seem to know differently?
Policy is decided in Westminster not in Northern Ireland. Is your suggestion that Ireland should have held off making a decision until London were ready to make one?
Thankfully the Shinners aren't in power. They kneecap collaborators.
TrundleAlong
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I think when you are talking about Ireland but referring to the North and the South it is OK to refer to the South as the Republic.
I refer to them as Ireland and Northern Ireland.
If I'm talkabout the island of Ireland I refer to it as the island of Ireland. For 70 years the Brits wouldn't refer to this country by its correct name. I don't think we should do the same.
hydrocarbon
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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 measures. There's a basic political problem in that the EU seems to fundamentally oppose travel controls. Widespread testing also seems to have been strongly resisted also. At last some decent social distancing measures have been put in place, but without the first two elements will be less effective.
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 measures. There's a basic political problem in that the EU seems to fundamentally oppose travel controls. Widespread testing also seems to have been strongly resisted also. At last some decent social distancing measures have been put in place, but without the first two elements will be less effective.
The lack of a cordon sanitaire is a key issue. That and people who are socially irresponsible.
Ireland can’t make the North do anything so it’s wishful thinking to argue otherwise. We can only seek to request and lobby. We saw that with Brexit. So let’s be realistic and not distracted.
Irish authorities are reportedly trying to identify 10,000 beds around Ireland as a contingency for coronavirus, Rory Carroll reports from Dublin for The Guardian:
The Health Service Executive is attempting to source beds in hospitals, hotels, military barracks, student accommodation and other sites for a possible surge in cases, according to RTE.
The National Public Health Emergency Team said the [broken link removed]announced on Thursday – such as closing schools and universities and banning big public gatherings – may slow infections so that 200 people a week catch the virus over five weeks instead of 500 people a week catching the virus over two weeks. The goal is to give health services and society time to handle the pandemic.
The Health Service Executive is attempting to source beds in hospitals, hotels, military barracks, student accommodation and other sites for a possible surge in cases, according to RTE.
The National Public Health Emergency Team said the [broken link removed]announced on Thursday – such as closing schools and universities and banning big public gatherings – may slow infections so that 200 people a week catch the virus over five weeks instead of 500 people a week catching the virus over two weeks. The goal is to give health services and society time to handle the pandemic.
Where are the figures of 1.8 million people being infected coming from?
There are 11 million people in Wuhan where the virus first spread. They didn't know it was there for months and yet only 70,000 people have contracted the virus (80,000 in the entire country). If we have the same infection rate that would be around 30,000 people. Their dead rate is 5%. That would translate to 1500 deaths here. That's assuming that we have the same infection rates and the same death rates and since we knew about the virus before it got here, unlike the Chinese, we should have better containment and treatment outcomes. last year about 100 people died from the flu here. 222 died here of the flu in 2018.
There are 11 million people in Wuhan where the virus first spread. They didn't know it was there for months and yet only 70,000 people have contracted the virus (80,000 in the entire country). If we have the same infection rate that would be around 30,000 people. Their dead rate is 5%. That would translate to 1500 deaths here. That's assuming that we have the same infection rates and the same death rates and since we knew about the virus before it got here, unlike the Chinese, we should have better containment and treatment outcomes. last year about 100 people died from the flu here. 222 died here of the flu in 2018.
I think the Chinese figures pre-late January cannot be trusted - lot of Guardian articles about this.
Then, the lockdown measures they put in place once they acknowledged person to person transmission were severe - far greater than any European country. Other Asian countries e.g. in Singapore & S Korea you cannot go out without a mask on. It doesn't stop you getting infected rather it does limit super spreaders from infecting you. This is especially important if reports that you can transmit the virus before symptoms develop (seems more prevalent 24 hours beforehand) are true.
Against that the WHO did not think there were large number of mild \ undetected cases in the figures when they visited China in late February.
Yet Ireland, UK other EU countries are working from models which have ranges of 20% - 70% of the population infected.
Then, the lockdown measures they put in place once they acknowledged person to person transmission were severe - far greater than any European country. Other Asian countries e.g. in Singapore & S Korea you cannot go out without a mask on. It doesn't stop you getting infected rather it does limit super spreaders from infecting you. This is especially important if reports that you can transmit the virus before symptoms develop (seems more prevalent 24 hours beforehand) are true.
Against that the WHO did not think there were large number of mild \ undetected cases in the figures when they visited China in late February.
Yet Ireland, UK other EU countries are working from models which have ranges of 20% - 70% of the population infected.