The government has now introduced a return to many Covid-19 restrictions. But what do the numbers actually show about how deadly Coronavirus has been for Ireland? On July 3rd, the Health Information Quality Authority (HIQA) acknowledged that Coronavirus fatalities in Ireland were overestimated by 60%. A Central Statistics Office report published on the same day proved […]
Offaly TD Carol Nolan has said that NPHET is to recommend not extending the lockdown in Offaly and Laois after August 22. However, in response to a question from a constituent, she said that “Kildare may well remain in lockdown.” The recommendation still has to be signed off by the Government which is expected to announce […]
On Tuesday, the Irish government, at the recommendation of the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET), announced a series of new measures to limit the spread of Covid-19 and to minimize its impact on vulnerable groups. Few would dispute that Covid-19 poses a serious threat to our health and well-being, and that an intelligent and […]
Doctors have warned of a “looming mental health crisis” and a “”tsunami of referrals” as new data shows that the number of adults in Britain with depression has doubled during the Covid-19 lockdown. Almost 20% of people said they had experienced depression in the month of June – doubling the number (9.7%) who gave that […]
Anger and frustration have been widely expressed on social media at the government’s decision to revert to holding matches behind closed doors. Thousands of families who had returned to matches and training, with a maximum number of 200 people in attendance, have now been told that they need to adhere to a 15 people limit on outdoor gatherings. […]
Five months ago as the coronavirus pandemic kicked into swing I wrote that the narrative around flattening the curve or getting to zero versus herd immunity provided no clarity on where Ireland was going with its response. Five months later we are none the wiser. The government introduces new measures, a knee-jerk reaction, to an […]
I do not recall hearing of any Bacchanalian scenes at the many sports events held over last weekend, but it would seem that the outrage expressed at such behaviour in the Berlin Bar on Dame Lane has been one of the factors in a notable tightening of restrictions connected to the Coronavirus panic. Of course, neither the […]
Research carried out in India’s commercial capital, the packed city of Mumbai, found that more than half of the residents of the slums examined in three areas of the city tested positive for antibodies to the coronavirus. The survey showed that 57% of the people living in these densely populated areas may now be immune […]
New Zealand is an island nation of about 5 million people. It is a western liberal democracy with public infrastructure and an advanced market economy. Like Ireland, New Zealand sits just off the coast of another larger island (admittedly about 4,000km off the coast, but we live in a globalised world) with which it is […]
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“Regional lockdown” is the buzzword in the media this morning, in response to the new outbreak of Coronavirus, which seems to be centered on meat factories in the eastern midlands: HEALTH OFFICIALS HAVE said they cannot rule out a regional lockdown in Kildare, Laois and Offaly after a significant rise in the number of confirmed […]
Ireland has been slower than most other EU countries to re-open its borders to inward travel. A certain narrative is taking root, endorsed by prominent voices in the scientific community as well as in Dáil Éireann, to the effect that we should spare no effort in keeping Ireland “Covid-free.” This narrative has radicalized our thinking around […]