Looks like I'll have to start shaving again

[Justin Time]

Dont give a flyin' fuck .

I will continue to wear a mask and I will insist on passengers wearing one as well,regardless if they are no longer mandatory.

 Its nonsense to say that covid is gone, it's not.

While omnicron might be "less" harmful than Delta in so far as its affects your upper respiratory area,it still can cause severe illness and in some cases death.

Even if you do get it,many people are suffering with long covid,which long term results are unknown.

Continue to mask up I say

[mercenary for hire]

You can't force them to wear masks as it won't be a legal requirement from next week.If ya refuse service without a valid reason you risk getting dragged into the NTA or possibly losing any Airport permit or app privileges. It's unlikely, but some grumpy bastard passenger might decide to make a point and complain.

[Belker]

Thank Fook there nearly gone, sick shite of the yokes !

Every day ya pay your money and take your chances leaving your front door.
Some though accident or disease will never return home.

[Rat Catcher]

Welcome back, JIT. How are you finding business in the city?

[Cool Boola]

Turn right…then left and drive around for a while

[Rat Catcher]

Probably better off holding for an app job the way fuel prices are going.... unless you're in the ultra-smug EV gang.

[watty]

Covid: 5,919 new cases on ‘milestone’ day as mask-wearing rules end

The vast majority of Covid-19 restrictions lifted at midnight in a move hailed as a “milestone” for the country.

The changes come as 5,919 new cases of the virus were reported to the Department of Health on Monday.

As of 8am on Monday, there were 610 patients in hospital with the virus, 47 of whom were in ICU.

However, people are still advised to wear masks on public transport and in healthcare settings.

Still ~6k infected people wandering around... Hopefully it's receding, albeit slowly.  Just in time to be replaced by the flu 

I think I'll keep wearing the mask for another little while!

[silverbullet]

Covid: 5,919 new cases on ‘milestone’ day as mask-wearing rules end

The vast majority of Covid-19 restrictions lifted at midnight in a move hailed as a “milestone” for the country.

The changes come as 5,919 new cases of the virus were reported to the Department of Health on Monday.

As of 8am on Monday, there were 610 patients in hospital with the virus, 47 of whom were in ICU.

However, people are still advised to wear masks on public transport and in healthcare settings.

Still ~6k infected people wandering around... Hopefully it's receding, albeit slowly.  Just in time to be replaced by the flu 

I think I'll keep wearing the mask for another little while!

+1

I was at my mate's Dad's funeral in Blanch today, only a few of us wore masks. Still, there was the normal amount of coughing in church and I wasn't taking chances.

[watty]

https://www.nationaltransport.ie/wp-content/uploads/2022/03/SPSV-Industry-Note-Issue-55-Feburary-2022-Final-for-Web.pdf

Face coverings are no longer legally mandated.  However, Public Health advice remains that you  should wear them on public transport (including SPSVs). We would strongly recommend that you continue to manage the ongoing Covid risk and protect yourselves and your passengers by wearing face coverings. This is particularly important for vulnerable passengers and drivers.

** You should put on a mask immediately if asked to do so by a passenger.

** Where you require passengers to wear masks, you should carry new masks to give to those who do not carry them.

** If a passenger will not wear a mask at your request, our compliance team will review any passenger refusal complaint on a case by case

So the NTA strongly recommends we wear masks but,
- if a passengers ask, we have to put on a mask. 
- If we ask a passenger to wear a mask, we should supply it free of charge. 
- And if the passenger won't wear the requested mask, you can throw them out...maybe

What could possibly go wrong? 

[mercenary for hire]

I know we've been brainwashed for the last two years to be afraid of Covid but the risk of getting proper sick from Omicron is minimal.

I'll happily wear a mask if the odd person requests one but it seems pointless when I can walk into any bar in the city and be surrounded by hundreds of potentially unvaccinated customers with no social distancing or screens.

I'd like to see the NTA trying to force drivers to wear a mask if it's not a legal requirement.They'd be told to get lost.

Don't forget the masks are only meant to stop you spreading the virus to someone else while coughing.I cant remember the last time I coughed around another person since covid.

Before covid I'd take a deep breath in a stressful situation to calm down a little.With the masks I just got dizzy.Glad to see them gone.

[TheDevilHimself]

Just be carefull you don't accidentally swallow them masks . some folks will swallow anything !

[silverbullet]

Just be carefull you don't accidentally swallow them masks . some folks will swallow anything !

Only 8,071 cases of Covid were reported this week.

[watty]

I think it's 6-8k new cases per day, every day.

(Wed) https://www.rte.ie/news/coronavirus/2022/0302/1283986-coronavirus-figures/

The Department of Health has been notified of 7,694 new cases of Covid-19.  The new figures consist of 3,342 PCR-confirmed cases and 4,352 positive antigen tests registered through the HSE portal.  As of 8am today, 653 Covid-19 patients are in hospital, up 37 from yesterday, of whom 46 are in ICU, down two from yesterday.  Meanwhile, in Northern Ireland 2,407 new cases of the virus have been reported.

A lot more info here - https://covid19ireland-geohive.hub.arcgis.com

[C5]

@mercenary for hire, been unvaccinated makes no difference to catching covid. I didn't take the vaccine got covid no symptoms. It turns out people who got it bad were deficient in vitimin D3.

[mercenary for hire]

Yeah I know C5 but the NPHET lads were saying at one point the vaccinations helped reduce transmissibility.I thought that was bollox but they still said it.

Even though I got Covid at Christmas now I have to get my third jab just so I can get a covid cert for me holidays in May.Pain in the arse really.