Covid 19 - LOI Ramifications

**sbgawa** · 02/11/2020, 10:21 PM

Its nothing to do with the actual costs of running off the championships for the GAA, its the lost gate reciepts which in relevant terms are a multiple of the loi gates and also the infrastructure staff and facilities maintenance the gate reciepts are suppposed to cover. Like most organisations the gaa costs habe increased to match revenue hence they need a bailout. I have beyond zero interest in GAA but their infrastructure is a multiple of ours

**Nesta99** · 02/11/2020, 10:48 PM

Yeah that makes sense, there are staffing as associated costs with infrastructure which I hadnt factored in tbh along with the loss of income budgeted for. I was thinking more that if €31mil was allocated to the GAA overall, how half of that is just to run the senior All Irelands though, as the bulk of costs would be policing, stewards etc. If the money was allocated for covid testing it would seem more balanced to me as a competition specific cost. What little I know about GAA these days its Louth specific so hardly an example of the broader picture, especially with Fitzers general BS and about the new County Ground being available to Dundalk FC which ''As Louth County chairman is guaranteed''...

**sbgawa** · 02/11/2020, 10:52 PM

I think its an allocatiob issue , its not that they need 15m to run off the championship its more that thats where the revenue is lost.

**Nesta99** · 01/12/2020, 3:26 PM

Well we are starting to get a picture of the timescale of vaccine rollout. Nothing major that isnt in the news already but its possible that by late February significant tranches of the population will be vaccinated. Licencing is to be approved on one vaccine provisionally by the 12th of January and Government has purchased nearly 900k dosages. Might be a little misleading as inocculation is likely to be in 2 doses 4 weeks apart. But that is for one vaccine with another 3 or 4 in the works and on a similar schedule. What would be sensible imo for LoI would be to push back the season start date in to March, ideally the end of that month. It would provde the best chance to have crowds back in full. In the mean time things are as you were - and dont let heads be turned by anti-vax stuff. The development time is unprecedented but so is the scrutiny on safety.

**Mr A** · 01/12/2020, 3:49 PM

There seems to be absolute determination to play a full season and that means a start around the normal time.

**sbgawa** · 01/12/2020, 4:18 PM

Originally Posted by Nesta99

Well we are starting to get a picture of the timescale of vaccine rollout. Nothing major that isnt in the news already but its possible that by late February significant tranches of the population will be vaccinated. Licencing is to be approved on one vaccine provisionally by the 12th of January and Government has purchased nearly 900k dosages. Might be a little misleading as inocculation is likely to be in 2 doses 4 weeks apart. But that is for one vaccine with another 3 or 4 in the works and on a similar schedule. What would be sensible imo for LoI would be to push back the season start date in to March, ideally the end of that month. It would provde the best chance to have crowds back in full. In the mean time things are as you were - and dont let heads be turned by anti-vax stuff. The development time is unprecedented but so is the scrutiny on safety.

The Anti-vaxers are nut jobs but its amazing how many people listen to them.
I would'nt strongly disagree with your time line but personally i would push to start the league end of feb as the timelines on vaccinations may slip and then we would have calls to postpone the start of the league.
Get going again and if the first few matches are 500 or 1000 people as vaccinations have started it wouldn't be to bad.
Even behind doors i think we need to start again, there are to many people with small minds as was well and truly proven this year who would defer the start for as long as possible

**Yossarian** · 01/12/2020, 4:37 PM

Originally Posted by Mr A

There seems to be absolute determination to play a full season and that means a start around the normal time.

Surely it�s possible to play a full season but start it later and finish it later? I think the later it�s started then the more chance of getting crowds back at the start, even if it begins with reduced attendances.

**Mr A** · 01/12/2020, 4:58 PM

Issue raised with that was the further into winter you play the more likely it is that the finish is disrupted by weather.

**nigel-harps1954** · 01/12/2020, 5:03 PM

If we could even get 500 people in the grounds for the first month or two it would be a huge boost. I still think the start of February is a mad suggestion, and start of March would be a much more sensible option.

**passinginterest** · 01/12/2020, 5:03 PM

I think we might be overestimating the ability to vaccinate a significant enough portion of the population that quickly. It's a huge logistical problem in terms of actually delivering and administering the vaccine. It'll be front line health care staff first, then the elderly, but will that be enough to allow more general return to normality? It's more likely to be late 2021 early 2022 before we're close to widespread vaccination being completed. I'd image there's going to be at least some limitations in terms of crowds and gatherings for a large part of 2021.

**Nesta99** · 02/12/2020, 10:35 AM

I think if vulnerable groups get a vaccine the risk drops and so a more open society. Also safe guarding the health service so that it wont be overwhelmed due to absentee staff allows room to opent things up. The logisitics are an issue but plans are in place - the swabbing system will be adapted as the jab is a basic skill, pharmacies and GPs will also be used. Rolling out stock of the vaccine (Army are in plans to deliver stocks) could be an initial issue but that would be over days, and even if over weeks things could get back to normailty by spring 2021.

**sbgawa** · 02/12/2020, 11:51 AM

I guess long term the covid vacine will be included with the yearly flu jab for the vulnerable to take.
Up to individuals to decide then based on risk profile.
Big push now to get as many done as possible which makes sense just to knock it on the head regardless of your risk profile.
Just watch the anti vax nut jobs will be out with the scare stories, i had an eejit tell me the other night that he wouldn't take it because of the "thalidomide children".
I tried to explain to him that that was not a vaccination and was completely irrelevant to this situation....wasting my time , some people are just gob****es and there is no way around that.
I asked him how many people die of polio or whooping cough now compared to pre vacine ...again wasting my time, Donald Trump has a lot to answer for People just dont like FACTS anymore if they dont suit them.

**Nesta99** · 02/12/2020, 12:58 PM

I'm assuming it was a man, I hope ye pointed out that that he needn't worry about any risk to his pregnancy! There wont be any shortage of Darwin awards over this vaccine!

**sbgawa** · 02/12/2020, 1:27 PM

he was indeed an aul fella at no danger of getting pregnant

His attitude was if they got that wrong then they could get this wrong.
its genuinely a waste of time talking to anti vaxers.

**passinginterest** · 02/12/2020, 2:29 PM

I have to say, I'm very pro-vaccination and anti conspiracy theories, but I still wouldn't be in a mad rush to be at the front of the queue for the new vaccine, especially after the narcolepsy episodes with the rushed swine flu vaccine.

**Nesta99** · 02/12/2020, 4:56 PM

Originally Posted by passinginterest

I have to say, I'm very pro-vaccination and anti conspiracy theories, but I still wouldn't be in a mad rush to be at the front of the queue for the new vaccine, especially after the narcolepsy episodes with the rushed swine flu vaccine.

There isnt a drug or vaccination that is 100% risk free, and there could be an understandible slow initial uptake due to the perceived rush through of this vaccination. But in reality it was the red tape that was cut through, limits on budgets, and an awful lot of very good people that stepped up to be guinea pigs - something that would usually be an arduous and timely process. It would be foolish to ever say never on anything ike this but if there is a vaccination that is going to have minimal risk (or knowing if there is risk) its going to be these ones. If there is a concern it wouldnt be the safety of the vax in principle but in the massive drive on production where quality issues could crop up - it only takes one person slacking and a batch is recalled. Serious damage was done by that bogus report linking MMR to autism for which the author did jail time. Still shaking the head over the thalidimide comparison, though its a bit mad that somthing that was designed to treat morning sickness is now a front line cancer treatment, some leap there!

**passinginterest** · 02/12/2020, 5:04 PM

Originally Posted by Nesta99

There isnt a drug or vaccination that is 100% risk free, and there could be an understandible slow initial uptake due to the perceived rush through of this vaccination. But in reality it was the red tape that was cut through, limits on budgets, and an awful lot of very good people that stepped up to be guinea pigs - something that would usually be an arduous and timely process. It would be foolish to ever say never on anything ike this but if there is a vaccination that is going to have minimal risk (or knowing if there is risk) its going to be these ones. If there is a concern it wouldnt be the safety of the vax in principle but in the massive drive on production where quality issues could crop up - it only takes one person slacking and a batch is recalled. Serious damage was done by that bogus report linking MMR to autism for which the author did jail time. Still shaking the head over the thalidimide comparison, though its a bit mad that somthing that was designed to treat morning sickness is now a front line cancer treatment, some leap there!

Very true, and to be fair, I don't think I'd refuse it if offered in the early stages but there is some nagging doubts about how quickly things have moved. The Journal did a good explainer today (https://www.thejournal.ie/explainer-...85807-Dec2020/) on how it was possible to progress it so quickly without compromising on any of the normal checks and balances. I'm actually on a drug that's still relatively new and subject to additional monitoring and I didn't hesitate to take it, so I'm probably just overthinking the covid vaccine.

Hopefully it's a massive success and we can roll out out efficiently enough that we'll all return to normality by summer 2021 (although preferably not a full time return to the office for me!).

**Nesta99** · 02/12/2020, 5:17 PM

I think its the right thing to ask questions and voice concerns. I also think people should have the right to refuse the vax, but based on concrete evidence and not some nutcase on a youture channel. I never recieved MMR as a kids due to concerns in asthmatics, it wasnt an issue in the end but if I ever mention it (and it being a GP decision) you do get some wicked looks, anti vaxers are a pain but so can pro vaxers on a crusade too. If there are underlying conditions i'd be going to a GP for the vax rather than a pharmacy. I heard there that roll out s to start in mid January so we could get to football games for mid February. It should help clubs with contract issues.

**passinginterest** · 03/12/2020, 2:39 PM

https://www.thejournal.ie/leo-varadk...87615-Dec2020/

Comments here on mass gatherings and crowds at sporting events, suggests we might be doing well to have any crowds by the summer. Full capacity league of Ireland grounds not likely until latter half of 2021 I'd be thinking.