paddyor wrote:Oldschoolsocks wrote:“is Germany sticking to promised timelines etc.” See there’s the problem right there nobody knows, and the fact that it’s dragging on like that I wouldn’t be surprised there was no SLA agreed at all.
I’ve fully acknowledged that this is a very unusual circumstance, my issue is that we were being told lies.
At least Holohan has acknowledged that a prerequisite to coming out of lockdown will be a reliable test that can be turned around within 24 or 48 hours so we can actually implement mass testing and contact tracing where necessary.
I think thay've been burned by over promising already so they're being careful in what they commit to now. 14k tests returned 1k positive results with the balance of 25-30k to be finished by next week. Given 70% of those people will be revicery and the balance in hospital etc, I can see why it's not a priority.
The message on testing is and has been confused.
A cluster was defined to be three or more etc now it's two or more.
By no stretch of the imagination is two of anything a cluster so why the change in definition.
At the very least it's inconsistent.
In addition it has been clearly manipulated.
Take today's and yesterday's figures.
They are not a reflection of the true state of play.
The deaths are the most meaningful figure.
It's no coincidence that the figures have peaked now.
In actual fact our case number probably peaked more than a week ago but it wouldn't have suited anyone to make it seem so.
The German returns have been released at a very appropriate time.
The Germans were probably told to hold off either on the testing or the results.
If you think that's conspiracy theory then my answer to you is simple.
This is Germany we're talking about.
The one country in Europe who is able to help everyone else and whose deaths per million is only bettered by the likes of Taiwan, Australia and New Zealand.
Be the above be as it may, what worries me is that our decision makers are balling at taking the next step.
They obviously should allow some time to see how Denmark and Austria progress.
Listening to Phillip Nolan I get the distinct impression that if it was left to him we'd be in lockdown for a long time.
McConkey is very conservative too but he seems to be at least aware that a decision does need to be made.
To repeat each country's exit strategy will be different.
Ireland being an island has an advantage.
McConkey, however, has identified that for that to work we need NI to be singing from the same hymn sheet.
That might not be that difficult a problem.
A multi phase strategy will be required.
Our leaders have started to take very gentle steps in the right direction.
For what it's worth though they have put the fear of bejaysus into a fair number of the population.
This could be counterproductive so the message needs to gradually change.
The first group that is to be freed up should be identified to the public over the next week or so.
The public needs to be reminded that this is the only group and that a second step will only begin depending on how successful the first phase is.
The first phase will probably have to last at two weeks before the second phase begins.
We badly need that antibody test and for our swab testing to achieve its timing goals.
We are now at the point where we need one clear and authoitive message coming through.
We've been softened up,are relatively compliant.
It's time to reap the benefits from that achievement.