Covid restrictions have restricted our lives. Shutdown of social institutions and moving on to virtual forums, closing of international borders, Recession, unemployment and uncertainty. The Republic of Ireland’s very first case was confirmed on February 29. On March 12 the schools, colleges and public places were ordered to closure after which on March 27, 2020 Ireland went on her first full lockdown.
Since then, there have been strict covid restrictions and protocol to be followed. Covid cases hit Ireland with a storm at the end of 2020 during the Christmas period. Since then, the country went on in restrictions till 1st April 2022.
Ireland experienced 1,000 deaths and more than 100,000 cases confirmed in January 2021.
With level 5 covid restrictions Ireland functioned through the vaccination process till 10 May 2021 when the restrictions have been eased to certainity. Around 12,000 businesses are set to reopen this week, while 100,000 people are expected to return to work this month.
At a time when the world is struggling to survive this pandemic and vaccination is in a gradual process, there has been an anti-lockdown and anti vaxxers propaganda in different parts of the world. Ireland has not been an exception. Dublin has been the hotspot for anti-vaxxers in Ireland with several protests.
On 29 th February, The anti lockdown protests became chaotic on the streets of Dublin when protestor aimed firework at garda. The peaceful rally of anti lockdown protests on St Patrick’s day and several other protests demonstrations have shown that the people of Ireland don’t want further restrictions. The exact number of anti vaccination protestors is yet to be known but incidents like immunologist Professor Luke O’Neill from Trinity College being attacked on street by anti vaxxers have certainly made it clear that a section of people have questioned the very existence of covid and remarked the vaccination as fake.
Is corona virus real?
Is anti-vaxxers a conspiracy theory?
Is it because the people have lost faith in the system?
Is it a kind of frustrated reaction to the restrictions?
In a democratic world, it’s the people who eventually decides. As per ourworldindata.org statistics on 11 may 2022, 80.6 % of the Irish population have been fully vaccinated.
