We’re going to have to learn the hard way
PUBS still open, hoardes of people going to beaches and scenic areas ignoring social distancing guidelines all adds up to just one thing-restrictions on our day to day movements are on the way.
And, if the Government does go down that road this week, who could blame them? Queues at chip vans and ice cream vans made it look like we are having a normal Bank Holiday week-end in good weather.
How further from reality was all of this? Can people not just simply obey a few guidelines and suffer the inconvenience for the next three months or so?
It’s not too much to ask at all. Are people not watching was has happened in Italy, Spain and France or somehow think we Irish have an immunity to this deadly virus?
No one is saying that people cannot get out and about and exercise, just not go to places where there are crowds and to keep a distance form others and not to meet up as groups of friends.
There are dozens of beaches, woods and walks all over county Sligo where one can go for a fairly isolated outing.
Just put a bit of thinking into it. If this isn’t done in the next week or so, the Government will act and before we know it there’ ll be curfews like in Italy at present with permits required before leaving home with the sanction of arrest or fines for transgressors.
And, Gardaí now have been given additional powers including one to detain anyone they suspect of having Covid-19 and are out an about in public.
One call Gardaí had to deal with in Sligo over the week-end was to put an end to a house party!
So, the message is quite clear and simple. Life has changed but it could get a whole lot worse if we don’t respect a few simple messages.
And, there’s no need to be demonising particular groups in society. Teenagers have come in for some outrageous criticism on social media. I even saw a quite ludicrous suggestion that teenagers out and about should be named and shamed!
Lynch mob mentality will get us nowhere. Teenagers just need to be told like everyone else in a mannerly fashio and not to be spoken down to or threatened.
The country will get through this but we’ve all got to start taking on board the strong advice from the medical experts and stop sharing utter nonsense on social media.