This morning.
The M50 (top) and Dun Laoghaire (above), County Dublin as rona restrictions are ‘eased’ for the first time in over 100 days.
We’re back-ish, baby.
Tag Archives: coroanvirus
Religulous
at
From top: Professor Oran Doyle (above) and the Irish Times yesterday
“I assure the Deputy and other colleagues that with regard to penalties, religious services are non-penal in that there is no penalty attached to them.”
Minister for Health Stepehen Donnelly in the Dáil on Thursday, October 22, 2020
‘A priest in a Co Cavan parish says he has no intention of paying a €500 fine imposed on him for saying Mass publicly and he intends continuing to do so despite the ban on public worship under pandemic restrictions.
Cavan priest vows to continue saying Mass despite fine, Irish Times, March 24
Um.
Yesterday, during a podcast hosted by the COVID-19 Law and Human Rights Observatory, Oran Doyle, a professor in law at Trinity College Dublin asked:
“Why is The Irish Times, after the Minister for Health has confirmed in the Dail that religious services are not prohibited, happily reporting stories about priests being prosecuted for holding religious services, or threatened with prosecution for holding religious services?
“Do journalists not like, do they have the attention span of a goldfish that they can’t remember that somebody writing on exactly the same issue they were researching has just two weeks ago published an unequivocal Government statement that this is legally compliant, that they might put in a cross-reference in their article? No.
…”why aren’t there clarificatory statements from the Minister for Health to The Irish Times, ‘Editor, you have reported that, I just want to clarify this is not permitted’. Why is a message not being sent from the Minister for Justice to the Garda Commissioner? ‘We see reports of police threatening prosecution for thing that are not prohibited and it’s Government policy not to prohibit them legally. Please clarify to all gardai that these matters are not prohibited.’ But there’s no evidence of that having taken place.
“…I think it’s, frankly, it’s outrageous.”
Listen to podcast here
Yesterday: Take Me To Mass
Previously: Mass Delusion
Meanwhile…
BREAKING: Lord Braid has ruled that Scottish Government’s closure of Churches was unconstitutional and a disproportionate interference of Article 9 ECHR rights. Judgment to follow later.
— Jamie McGowan (@SpesScotorum) March 24, 2021
This morning.
The band at Wenatchee High School in Washington state, USA
Ah here.
Via The New York Post:
“You get kids back in the building. You can tell people are happy,” Principal Eric Anderson told WenatcheeWorld of the schoolhouse vibes since doors reopened on Jan. 26.
During rehearsal, happy campers in the band each zip into their personal tents, spaced 6 feet apart, along with their instruments. In an effort to avoid COVID-19 exposure, the ensemble practices in shifts per Wenatchee High’s new AM-PM hybrid schedule.
“We’re getting into that groove of what are we doing in-person and what are we asking kids to do as an extension of learning when they are not with us,” Anderson said of the remixed school day.
High school band uses individual tents to keep practicing during pandemic (New York Post)
Pic: World Photo
Rik Daems, President of the Parliamentary Assembly of the Council of Europe, addressing council members this week
The Council of Europe – an international Strasbourg-based organisation comprising 47 countries aimed at ‘protecting human rights and the rule of law in Europe ‘- has adopted the following ethical guidelines for member states ‘with respect to ensuring high vaccine uptake’…
7.3.1 ensure that citizens are informed that the vaccination is NOT mandatory and that no one is politically, socially, or otherwise pressured to get themselves vaccinated, if they do not wish to do so themselves;
7.3.2 ensure that no one is discriminated against for not having been vaccinated, due to possible health risks or not wanting to be vaccinated;
7.3.3 take early effective measures to counter misinformation, disinformation and hesitancy regarding Covid-19 vaccines;
7.3.4 distribute transparent information on the safety and possible side effects of vaccines, working with and regulating social media platforms to prevent the spread of misinformation;
7.3.5 communicate transparently the contents of contracts with vaccine producers and make them publicly available for parliamentary and public scrutiny…
Covid-19 vaccines: ethical, legal and practical considerations (Council of Europe)
Earlier: Nothing To Read Here
RISE TD @PaulMurphy_TD has said the Taoiseach's 'failure to follow public health advice… is responsible for hundreds of tragic deaths'. He calls on the Govt to introduce a 'Zero Covid' strategy to avoid further lockdowns | Read more Covid-19 coverage: https://t.co/sBLAonTKeG pic.twitter.com/SJdeex72Rj
— RTÉ News (@rtenews) January 20, 2021
This afternoon.
Zero Covid strategy?
FIGHT!
Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications and Minister for Transport Eamon Ryan
Over 30,000 people have arrived into Ireland since 8th December from UK according to Colm Henry on @morningireland
— Suzy Byrne (@suzybie) December 23, 2020
Eamon Ryan, the Transport Minister, on @morningireland has no details of how many people coming into Ireland in recent weeks have tested positive for COVID-19.
Also says he expects people coming from Britain in the last two weeks to self-isolate in their room on Christmas Day
— Hugh O’Connell (@oconnellhugh) December 23, 2020
This morning.
Good times.
Yesterday.
Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA.
Nurse manager Tiffany Dover had been giving a press briefing from CHI Memorial Hospital about her team being among the first to take the Pfizer-BioNTech vaccine when, about 17 minutes in, she collapsed and was grabbed by two doctors who were standing nearby.
Nurse faints at press conference after getting COVID-19 vaccine (Washinton Times)
Nurse faints during on live TV minutes after getting coronavirus vaccine (News.com.aus)
Meanwhile…
“We would not at all be surprised to see, coincidentally, vaccination happening and then having someone pass away a short time after they receive a vaccine, not because it has anything to do with the vaccination but just because that’s the place where people at the end of their lives reside.
“One of the things we want to make sure people understand is that they should not be unnecessarily alarmed if there are reports, once we start vaccinating, of someone or multiple people dying within a day or two of their vaccination who are residents of a long-term care facility. That would be something we would expect, as a normal occurrence, because people die frequently in nursing homes.”
Dr. Kelly Moore, associate director of the US Immunization Action Coalition, which is supporting frontline workers who will administer Covid-19 vaccinations.
Why vaccinate our most frail? Odd vote out shows the dilemma (CNN)
Dublin city centre last Saturday
Level 6, anyone?
Via the Irish Times:
CSO surveys showed that 71 per cent of people believe Level 5 was appropriate, while 10 per cent say it didn’t go far enough.
As of November 30th, department data suggests that 61 per cent of people approved of the Government reaction to the pandemic, while a further 23 per cent believed it didn’t go far enough.
On social distancing measures, 78 per cent of people believed they were about right, while 14 per cent thought they were too weak. There’s good evidence of social cohesion, as 61 per cent of people believe everybody or almost everybody was following guidelines.
Furthermore, there are strong indications that the public was willing to go further. Some 75 per cent of people thought Ireland was trying to return to normal either “a bit too quickly or “much too quickly”.
Seems legit.
Silent majority supports goal of zero Covid (Tomás Ryan Irish Times)
Meanwhile…
The rank insanity in Ireland continues – increasingly unbelievable stuff: https://t.co/7KSXqS75Cg
— Ivor Cummins (@FatEmperor) December 7, 2020
Fight!
Dr. Mike Yeadon, a former Vice President and Chief Science Officer for Pfizer for 16 years, says “there is no science to suggest a second wave should happen.” asserting that:
“false positive results from inherently unreliable COVID tests are being used to manufacture a second wave based on new cases.”
Dr Yaedon says that half or even “almost all” of tests for COVID are false positives and the threshold for herd immunity may be much lower than previously thought, and may have been reached in many countries already.
Via The American Institute for Economic Research
This video provides one of the most erudite and informative looks at Covid-19 and the consequences of lockdowns. It was remarkable this week to watch as it appeared on YouTube and was forcibly taken down only 2 hours after posting. The copy above is hosted on LBRY, a blockchain video application. In a year of fantastic educational content, this is one of the best we’ve seen.
An Education in Viruses and Public Health, from Michael Yeadon, Former VP of Pfizer (AIER)
Thanks Bob
Meanwhile…
This morning.
UK’s TalkRadio.
A business owner, who has refused to shut up shop during England’s second coronavirus lockdown, saying the rules were a “complete injustice” for small businesses, talks to Mike Graham.
This afternoon.
Handball Alley, Croke Park, Dublin
One of two Covid-19 ‘pop-up’ test centres set up in Dublin due to concern over the rising number of cases in the capital, with the Acting Chief Medical Officer of the HSE Dr Ronan Glynn urging people in the city ‘to be cautious and limit their social interactions’.