If 25% of the highly paid people on NEPHT, who have 100% job security, were going to lose their job and possibly their homes and were going to see a escalation of mental health issues, addiction issues, domestic abuse etc within their own families then I suspect they would hold different views on how to treat this.
It's the job security that enables them to make decisions based on the medical evidence without fear or favour.
It does not matter who holds these positions, it matters that we have positions for people to provide an expertise without looking over their shoulders influenced by what is in their own best financial interests.
The current policies we have in place are economically and socially unsustainable
I agree, and this is where government comes in. They have diverged from the expert medical advice. It will remain to be seen if they are correct.
Personally, I think they were correct not to go to level 5 (in which case I do think NPHET decision making is now questionable).
Back in March, I think the government were correct to take the approach they did. We knew little about this virus other than it is highly contagious and can kill. The obvious fear of the health services becoming overwhelmed was justification to implement the lockdown.
However since then, a lot more is, perceivably at least, known about the virus. For instance, we are told, social distancing, frequent hand sanitising, cough etiquette, working from home where possible, wearing masks, all help to limit the spread of the virus. There was none of this in March, but now all of these measures are extremely prevalent.
So are these measures taking effect? I would suggest they are. The level of testing was reported this week to be at its highest level (some 10,000 per day) since the initial outbreak yet the numbers of detected cases are in this 2nd wave are yet to hit the peaks of the first wave.
It is possible that the peak of the 2nd wave is yet to come (this I believe is what NPHET are basing their decision upon) but it was roughly six weeks into 1st wave when the peak hit, whereas we are nearly ten weeks since the cases detected began to noticeably rise last August. Notwithstanding the odd rave in Dolphins Barn, GAA County celebrations, and anti-mask protests, the 2nd wave figures began to noticeably rise at the easing of lockdown measures end of July, start of August and the promotion of 'staycations' and then some more, a couple of weeks later, after re-opening of schools.
Nevertheless, it appears to me anyway, that social distancing, hand sanitising, masks, working from home etc, does have an obvious impact on limiting the spread.
I just think we need to start being a bit smarter. Rather than these arbitrary limits on numbers of people from different households (while simultaneously allowing 30 children from 30 households congregate indoors for half a day, 5 days a week) then more practical, awareness driven measures.
For instance, if you go on holiday, do not visit your elderly relatives for a period of two weeks upon your return.
If you have an underlying condition, take the measures that you need to take, with government providing the financial supports for employers and employees.
Obviously, nursing homes, and other healthcare centres pose other obvious risks but they is where our resources should be geared towards rather than blanket shutdowns of businesses everywhere.
I could of course, after all that, be entirely off the mark here