Coronavirus

[Juggz]

My Italian lady has just sent me a video of Italian mayors shouting at people on the streets in violation of the lockdown. Even with a lockdown in place, some cunts are still too ignorant/selfish/stupid to do the right thing despite the government trying to force them not to.

It’s time for some personal responsibility for thick or cuntish behaviour. It can’t always be the government’s fault.

[mickO)))]

Just as China are to blame for this getting out the rest of the world Governments are to blame for the disgraceful way it's being handled. People are people and are going to do stupid things. The Government dictates to us when and were we can drink what drugs we can and can't take along with many other things. I agree while being ideal a lockdown weeks ago would have set some people crazy but it's what is needed now and the longer they drag their heels making the decision the worse the situation is going is going to get.

It won't stop people being retarded and going to the beach but it will certainly drop the numbers. Sure even if 3/4's of the population caught this thing and died you would still have a certain type of person who would insist on going outside and doing whatever they want.

[Pedrito]

People will get a shock this time and we'll be better prepared next time. The countries that have done well like Japan had learnt from SARs and were prepared this time. We were all laughing about it here in Spain up until not long ago, and nobody's laughing now.

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

Yeah, it's the governments' job to account for people being selfish and stupid and to make laws and apply measures which reflect this. Doing otherwise is a failure of function on their part. At the latest, Leo's huff and puff announcement on Paddy's Day should have been a full lockdown announcement, no one's saying the country should have shut down over a "virus in China".

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

It's time for some personal responsibility for thick or cuntish behaviour. It can't always be the government's fault.

What do you suggest in the immediate? Etiquette classes? The government has to act based on the existence of cuntish behaviour. No point wishing away the human condition!

[The Heretic]

We need to get over blaming the government for the poor decisions of individuals. Unless you're a fucking moron, for some time it has been quite obvious what the correct course of action was and you shouldn't need the government to force you not to be a fucking thick.

some people need forcing I'm afraid....the thick is strong in those ones....

[Pedrito]

Yeah, it's the governments' job to account for people being selfish and stupid and to make laws and apply measures which reflect this. Doing otherwise is a failure of function on their part. At the latest, Leo's huff and puff announcement on Paddy's Day should have been a full lockdown announcement, no one's saying the country should have shut down over a "virus in China".

Completely agree, it's just more of the same, the Celtic Tiger 'fuck everyone I'll be grand' mentality. I'm as wary as anyone of giving too much power to governments, but right the individual needs to take a back seat, there will be plenty of time for indulgence and selfishness afterwards.

[Carnage]

Heavy fines are the way to enforce this. These selfish dickheads only respond when their pocket is hit.

[Eoin McLove]

That's all well and good to say now that we have an idea of the scale and seriousness of the virus but if the government forced the country into immediate lockdown whenever there was talk of a virus, then the country would be fucked too.  And nobody would take it seriously.  It's a catch 22 scenario for them- damned whatever decision they make.  And I'm not saying that as a loyal Leo supporter at all,  I just think that this thing grew out of all proportion over a couple of weeks.  Arguably the whole country should be on lock down now (arguably!), but three weeks ago this was still something that was going on far away from Ireland and they were monitoring its progress.  What if it had fizzled out after two weeks and the whole country was in lockdown? Imagine the uproar. Incompetent, fear mongering, irresponsible etc etc... they had to let it play out a bit to see what they were dealing with.  Shutting a country down that is still working its way out of the previous recession is a big decision and now,  in hindsight, maybe yeah... but that's hindsight.

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

You're just making stuff up. On Paddy's Day, 6 days ago!, we all knew exactly what was coming.

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

If there had been a lockdown and Ireland had escaped catastrophe while the rest of the world descended into chaos, there would not have been uproar

[Eoin McLove]

Yet this has been an ongoing issue for a month and Ireland has had only 4 deaths from it in that time so maybe we don't need to lockdown to control it.  Maybe social distancing is working. Not everyone is doing it, and that is stupid at this stage,  but it's not like the population is being wiped out. I think that with lockdown in place for the past week we would still have had a couple of deaths of old people and those with compromised immune systems. 

[Black Shepherd Carnage]

You haven't really done your research on this. With perfect social distancing the prediction for Ireland was 15000 cases by end of March. That was the prediction ON Paddy's Day. 1000 cases so far, a lot when you account for population. 4 dead but 29 in severe/critical condition.

Over the weekend, there were Starbucks in Bray, Limerick, elsewhere, packed. There were queues to chipper stalls at various places around the country, packed. The virus is still spreading good-o, be sure of it. Paddy's Day announcement should have been lock down, mandatory closing for all non essential business, especially public.

[Carnage]

Just got word that my nephew's been referred for testing. He's 5 and asthmatic, having trouble catching his breath in bed, but otherwise OK. Could be nothing, but his dad's a porter in UCHG so who knows?

My aunt's still waiting for results on her test, around a week now.

[Eoin McLove]

Maybe the country should be on lockdown now and I'm certainly not excusing the retards who are ignoring the basics that the rest of us are trying to observe. Maybe he should have locked the country down last week. But it had been a news story for two or three weeks already at that stage,  that's my point.  The government had to see what they were actually dealing with before closing down the country.  I'm sure that there would have to be all sorts of legal factors to take into consideration before taking that step, not to mention weighing up a fragile and recovering economy and the housing crisis etc. That is surely why things haven't completely shut down yet. I get the importance of what you are saying and maybe that drastic measure needs to be taken now in light of the growing situation but, again, think of the damage that is already being caused to countless businesses who haves been forced to close over the past week.  Another month or two or three of this and we'll have another crisis to deal with.  It's a balancing act and one I don't envy any leader to have to make.