So, we have a global ‘pandemic’ (at least in legal definition). And, to ensure we don’t completely destroy Ireland, all we have to do is get people to behave within a social contract. That will stop a surge in cases and allow us to weather the storm.
Don’t mass gather in close proximity. Protect the vulnerable. Keep your hands clean and no coughing in people’s faces. Have we got that lads? OK, crack on then. All will be well.
I cannot possibly imagine what person, being of relatively sound mind, who had any experience of the human race actually expected everyone to behave. Even in the relatively socialist dependent arena of Western Europe, people will be people. Or, idiots will be idiots, whichever you prefer.
How is Ireland doing with it’s COVID-19 Response?
At the time of writing, Ireland ranks 13th on deaths per million. Now, we are going to allow that stats are all over the place as different countries are recording deaths differently. Some places, you have to die of COVID-19 to be counted as a Coronavirus death (Which seems logical to us). In other places (Looking at you NYC) any death where the person had Coronavirus is enough to include you in the stats.
Thus, we are changing the old adage. There are liars, damn liars and statistics New York politicians.
No matter how you run the numbers, Ireland isn’t doing that great. Sure, better than Italy and Spain. Of course, those places have a reputation for being incredibly well run, right?
Acting Chief Medical Officer Dr Ronan Glynn has made it clear that there were now “multiple clusters with secondary spread of disease and rising numbers of cases in many parts of the country”.
With scenes like that in the bar featured here, it’s not exactly surprising.
What can we do about the increase in cases?
Well, there’s not a great deal you can do to stop the spread of cases if people won’t behave themselves without bordering on infringing people’s rights.
This is made worse by the obsession of mask wearing as the key indicator of how well people are managing distancing. When, there’s plenty of evidence to suggest that wearing a mask is far less important than simply not gathering in large groups, maintaining distancing and flat out not being around those of the highest risk group.
What can we do individually to help ourselves?
Personally, I’m well prepped for what’s happening. I’ve gradually tailored my life to remote work (for other reasons but it’s proved useful for this problem). I order my shopping online, I’ve avoided public transport. I’ve taken the opportunity to spend more time in the outdoors doing healthy things (which also eases the cabin fever).
Also, I really don’t like most people that much and crowds are really not my thing. Frankly aside from the financial implications of the crisis and a lack of social interaction that even I find strange, I’ve sailed through with a little forethought and some disciplined living changes.
I’m not saying I couldn’t murder a few pints of the black stuff and I don’t miss the pubs being open on a Friday, I do. I also know I’m not going to be helping the situation by giving into poor impulse control and joining in the kind of revelry shown in videos like this. So, as my part of the social contract, I’ve made the changes I can, for everyone’s benefit.
I appreciate not everyone can work from home, the rest we can definitely do though. Eliminating any unnecessary exposure to other people can be done, albeit each of us will be able to do so to a different level depending on our work and living circumstances.
What happens next?
Hopefully the public backlash to ill advised events pushes people to be sanely responsible. If not, we could get draconian restrictions applied to all of us. Just like in the schooldays we hark back to where one person spoils the fun for everyone.
2020 may be the year the Craic died in Dublin. So be it. We can appreciate it all the more once this thing is over, provided we all learn to behave a little. We predicted a surge in August earlier in the year. Let’s not make it any worse than it has to be.