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Ireland to impose 5km travel limit in strict new Covid lockdown:
Ireland is to close much of its economy and society in a second Covid-19 lockdown that imposes some of the severest restrictions in Europe.
Non-essential shops will close and people are asked to stay at home, with a 5km (3 mile) travel limit for exercise, to curb surging infection rates, the government announced on Monday evening.
From midnight on Wednesday the country will move to its highest lockdown tier for six weeks. Visits to private homes or gardens will not be permitted and there are to be no gatherings except for tightly controlled weddings and funerals.
A graduated fine system for those who breach the 5km travel limit – with exceptions for work and other purposes deemed essential – will be announced later this week. People who live alone or are parenting alone can pair with one other household as part of a support bubble. Two households can meet outdoors within the travel limit. Public transport will operate at 25% capacity.
Non-essential retail will close along with barbers' shops, beauty salons, gyms, leisure centres and cultural amenities. Pubs, cafes and restaurants will be allowed to serve takeout meals only, a devastating blow to an already weakened hospitality sector.
(Score: 1, Insightful) by Anonymous Coward on Monday October 26 2020, @06:25PM (1 child)
> Mask wearing was 30% or under after quarantine around here and has since increased to 60%.
There's your problem (the problem in your area), right in your numbers. Here in NY, where (as noted elsewhere) we are doing pretty good at the moment, mask wearing in public places (like stores) is up above 90%. That's what it takes to keep our new cases rate down to 1%-2% of tests, because no one knows if they are contagious.
If your school kids are near 100% (as are our kids in NY State), then they are not the cause of your local cases going up. 60% is not nearly high enough.
(Score: 2) by VLM on Wednesday October 28 2020, @01:36PM
covid19.healthdata.org disagrees with your numbers. In NY peak mask wearing was July thru August around 80% and since declined to about 75%.
I donno man. Its possible to build castles of dreams mathematical models where 60% mask use has zero impact on disease spread not showing up in the slightest whereas 75%, a mere 15% more, knocks the disease out entirely. That just doesn't sound reasonable as a disease model ...
Its possible to get boxed in with that strategy.
Minnesota has been running just a hair under 70% and has had a tripling of cases since school started. So masks are completely ineffective at preventing disease spread at 68% of the population like MN, but are effective at wiping the disease out like NY at 75% use.
New Jersey's case load has been flat since school opened and mask wearing is at 70%.
The math model is looking kinda ridiculous at this point.