More unease…and when would you return to pubs/restaurants gigs and events? June 30, 2020
Posted by WorldbyStorm in Uncategorized.trackback
People are still nervous about going out to pubs and restaurants while a big majority is uncomfortable about taking an international trip either by plane or ferry.
These are just some of the findings in the latest survey on the social impact of Covid-19 by the Central Statistics Office. The survey was carried out between June 10 and June 17.
It found that 57% of people surveyed feel either “uncomfortable” or “very uncomfortable” with going to pubs, even with two metre social distancing. That percentage rises to 67% when social distancing is reduced to one metre.
The figure for restaurants is slightly lower at 41% but rises to 55.8% when social distancing is reduced to a metre.
82% of people said they would feel uncomfortable or very uncomfortable at an outdoor event with a large crowd and no social distancing.
I’m not surprised.
But here’s a question or two for the week that is in it with pubs and other businesses reopening in a strange sort of a way. At what point would people here feel comfortable in returning to pubs and restaurants, events and so on?
Some of us have to brave public transport. Others cycle (social distancing there isn’t great as I see for myself every day particularly early in the morning). Office spaces so far seem okay in the main, but I’m sure some of us have seen problematic aspects. What about schools, colleges and educational insitutions, when do people feel they will be comfortable working in or sending their offspring there?
The Cedar Lounge Revolution 
“At what point would people here feel comfortable in returning to pubs and restaurants, events and so on?”
After the first pint, unfortunately.
But after watching the RTE PrimeTime Investigates feature on James’s hospital last night I won’t be going anywhere near a pub or restaurant for quite a while. It was a sobering and timely reminder that COVID hasn’t gone away despite the best efforts of business lobbies to talk us back into some sense of normality.
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But after watching the RTE PrimeTime Investigates feature on James’s hospital last night I won’t be going anywhere near a pub or restaurant for quite a while. It was a sobering and timely reminder that COVID hasn’t gone away despite the best efforts of business lobbies to talk us back into some sense of normality.
I’ve heard some horror stories in the past few days about barber shops and pubs.
And despite the continuing of the traditional Irish state obfuscation over the so-called ‘free travel area’, it seems near-certain that we’re about to have infected travellers between here and there re-starting the pandemic.
https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/ireland-left-out-as-eu-opens-borders-to-15-states-including-australia-canada-and-japan-1.4292678
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There was a plague in London around 1665. Somebody sent me this great quote from Samuel Pepys diary about it.
“The taverns are full of gadabouts this eve. And though I press my face against the window like an urchin at the confectioners, I am not tempted by the sweetmeats inside. A dram in exchange for the pox is an ill bargain indeed.”
Notwithstanding all of the above, I will be going for a pint somewhere, somehow, this week. Fook it, the Felon’s Club will be running the country in four years time, I need a pint.
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Whatchya need, Joe, is a FFP3 mask with a built-in straw.
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Nah. A few pints to relax. And then head to the dump to tool up for these felon fookers.
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Eating / drinking outside is relatively safe, providing there is sufficient gap between tables and only people from the one housing unit sits at a table.
I’ve done it once already at an Indian restaurant.
But I wouldn’t go inside a bar. Even if people theoretically can keep their distance – after a few drinks…
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Can’t see myself going inside a pub or restaurant anytime soon. Might order a pint from a beer garden but that’s about it.
Very nervous about using Public Transport , although it will be the bus, at least there the driver can refuse you unless you have a facemask, the LUAS, DART and Trains are going to be awful unless there’s some enforcement.
Got a mail to say my office is opening on the 20th of July, don’t particularly fancy heading in.
I Just had the hair cut at lunchtime.It’s amazing the changes for the barber and the customer.
Three Socially distant barbers chairs. Barbers in PPE and wearing a face mask.
No face mask, no haircut.
Temperature taken going in. Young lad in front of me was refused as his temperature was too high.
Sanitize your hands going in. Details taken for Contact tracing.
Disposable plastic sheet covering you , rather than the usual ones.
Very little chat.
Some amount of time between cuts as the barber cleans each area after each customer.
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I’m still rocking the lockdown hairdo. And intend to carry on with it for the foreseeable. Much as I’d like to visit the charming Ostie women who did it before.
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I went to B&Q a while back only to discover a long queue outside. I was tipped on the shoulder and instructed to join the shorter queue and only to discover it was for the ‘Over 70s’. Being in my late 50s I joined it anyway and was delighted to get in and out in less than 20 minutes. No cutting of my grey hair so far. I even get seats on the bus offered to me as well. Clouds. Silver lining.
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Definitely. I notice RTÉ was talking about a study of old people and coronavirus the other day that starts age 50 and up. Well I’m mid 50s so I might as well own it!
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I think I mentioned here already that early in the lockdown I got pulled from the queue in Sainsbury’s and brought straight in – grey hair is a super power.
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Just thought I’d mention that this hasn’t happened to me at all despite my advanced years. Don’t know why.
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I don’t know if I want it to happen to me!
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Went to library today, Lexicon Dun Laoghaire. Very few, though I wore the mask. Passing librarian offered to help. Support your library.
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Good services generally and Borrow Box is a great online service for ebooks and audiobooks too.
https://www.librariesireland.ie/elibrary/ebooks
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Borrow box great. Imagine library must have been weird Jim.
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How did the post-Covid public library system work Jim? Any browsing? or did you have to know title and author and the librarian fetched the book for you?Was the reading room open?
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I’d like to know that too Ben.
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I borrowed from my library in Fingal.
I could browse the catalogue online, but couldn’t use the reservation system. Had to email my branch instead and just ask them to find the book for me. It had to come from a different branch so it took a few days.
I got an email, then, saying it was waiting for me. I imagined that I’d have to ring a bell and wait for service or something like that, but instead it was just sitting in a bag with my name on it outside the door. All very friendly and efficient. And trusting.
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Travelled back to Ireland today via Holyhead. Drove, rather than took the train because the car needed to come back for various reasons, and I have to say, I was much happier in a car by myself than on the three trains it takes to get from Yorkshire to Anglesey. Weird though, since I hadn’t driven further than a couple of miles in ages, and not on a motorway since before Xmas.
Driving into Wales there were LED signs every few miles (in English only!) reminding you that Welsh Covid rules applied. I can see the case for Welsh independence being boosted by this year’s events. The ferry was busy enough: bar closed. About half the passengers in masks. Dublin traffic seemed relatively normal Friday evening volumes…
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