NPHET (National Public Health Emergency Team) have recommended that masks are no longer required in schools, retail, hospitality and on public transport. They will still be required in health care settings. The government have accepted this recommendation and it is likely to come into effect on February 28th 2022. I am not yet ready to stop wearing mine, so I won’t.
I was just beginning to get my head around this as well as the end of social distancing when the news broke that NPHET are recommending the end of PCR tests for certain under 55’s. Antigen/ Lateral Flow tests are not free here and if I’m honest are quite expensive. I think this is a bad idea. People weren’t always wearing masks properly or maintaining social distancing so I’ll be astonished if they buy antigen tests if they’re experiencing symptoms. To me it smacks of wanting to deny that the pandemic is still ongoing. If we’re not testing, we’ve no numbers to declare. Yesterday there were 8593 new cases. 4821 PCR tests and 3772 antigen tests. There are 591 people in hospital and 57 in ICU. Those numbers are decreasing but its a slow decrease.
We are also just under 4 weeks away from St Patrick’s Day. It falls on a Thursday this year and is always a public holiday. This year because of the Coronavirus pandemic Friday 18th is also a public holiday. Let’s be honest, it’ll be a 4 day piss up. The pubs have been closed on St Patrick’s Day for the last two years and parades cancelled. This year will be carnage. I know I sound like a total misery and I’m absolutely all for people enjoying themselves but when alcohol enters the equation, all common sense and inhibitions go out the window. I hope I’m wrong but I don’t think I will be.
It feels like NPHET and the government have given up. It feels like they’re withered and have just decided ‘sod it, let them do what they want!’ Not good enough. It feels like they’re prioritising profit over people again. I know that businesses need to reopen, people need to work and earn and we need to emerge to a new normal where we live alongside Covid. I just don’t see why we have to do everything all at once. We don’t know if there will be more new variants and I know that typically as viruses mutate that those mutations/ variants aren’t as strong as the previous strain but Omicron grew dominant as we were preparing to reopen following Delta. It really bit us hard. I hope the same doesn’t happen this time.
Before anyone accuses me of cowardice or being brainwashed by the government, I will say that I miss my old life. I miss being able to book a trip home to see family and friends but it is because I care about them that I am wary. I am also asthmatic which I take into account also. I am absolutely risk averse when it comes to Coronavirus and the effect it could have on me. Fighting for breath and feeling like I can’t get any air into my lungs is not nice. I will do everything in my power to avoid ever feeling that way.
It’s a waiting game. I will continue to be very cautious. I will continue to hope that I’m wrong. I will continue to keep my distance, avoid crowded spaces and wash/ sanitise my hands. I will continue to ensure that I don’t get Coronavirus. I will continue to follow the science despite what the government, NPHET (before they disband) or anyone else says. The pandemic isn’t over just because we are all over it.
