Irish farmers concerned over plans to cull livestock

Irish farmers are concerned by a proposed government plan to cull almost 200,000 cattle over three years to fight climate change.

Irish farmers revolt over plan for cattle cull to meet green target | The Telegraph - Jessica Abrahams:

June 3, 2023 - "Irish farmers are rebelling against a proposal to cull tens of thousands of cattle a year to help Ireland meet its climate change targets. 

"The Irish government wants to reduce emissions from farming by a quarter by 2030. Media reports last week suggested that one option being considered was to reduce the national dairy herd by 10 per cent – meaning a cull of 65,000 cows a year for three years, at a cost of €200 million (£170 million) annually. 

"One Irish politician described the plan as 'absolute madness' and there are warnings that some farmers will refuse, and others will leave the sector, if an order is introduced. 

"The Irish government says that no final policy decision has been taken and that any cull would be voluntary as part of a 'retirement exit scheme' for farmers. But some farmers fear it will not be possible to meet the targets with only a voluntary cull. 

"Tim Cullinan, president of the Irish Farmers’ Association, warned that beef and dairy production would simply shift to other countries ... undermining the attempted emissions savings. 'Reports like this only serve to further fuel the view that the government is working behind the scenes to undermine our dairy and livestock sectors,' he said. 'While there may well be some farmers who wish to exit the sector, we should all be focusing on providing a pathway for the next generation to get into farming'.

"Pat McCormack, president of the Irish Creamery Milk Suppliers Association, said it was “frustrating” that the industry was being targeted. 'We’re the one industry with a significant roadmap, and, to be quite honest with you, our herd isn’t any larger than it was 25 to 30 years ago,' he said.... If there is to be a cull, he said, 'it needs to be a voluntary scheme. That’s absolutely critical'.

Read more: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/world-news/2023/06/03/ireland-farmers-revolt-cattle-cull-plan-climate-change-targ/

Ireland's farmers' fears over climate plans | Euronews | December 5, 2019:

Ireland and Iceland ending Covid restrictions

Ireland Scraps COVID Restrictions, Becoming the Most Travel-Friendly Country in the E.U. | Inside Hook - Lindsay Rogers:

January 24, 2022 - "In a televised address on Friday, Prime Minister Micheal Martin announced that — per the advice of public health officials — bars and restaurants would no longer need to close at 8 p.m. or to ask customers for proof of vaccination, and all venues, both indoor and outdoor, would be able to return to full capacity, effective Saturday.... [P]eople will still be expected to wear face coverings on public transport and in shops, but only until the end of February....

"This comes on the heels of the country’s decision to drop the testing requirement for vaccinated travelers at the start of the new year, meaning it’s currently one of the easiest countries to visit. And ... with pubs being able to operate at full capacity and not adhere to a curfew, all signs point to Ireland being able to properly celebrate St. Patrick’s Day for the first time since before the pandemic, when an estimated two million people gathered to attend parades and festivals nationwide.

"The latest series of changes also align Ireland with Northern Ireland where COVID rules are involved, with the latter loosening restrictions and dropping vaccine passes on Thursday. Northern Ireland is also set to reopen nightclubs next week."
Read more: https://www.insidehook.com/daily_brief/travel/ireland-scraps-covid-restrictions

Ireland drops most of its remaining COVID restrictions | Saltwire - Graham Fahy, Reuters:

February 22, 2022 - "Ireland on Tuesday said it will drop most of its remaining pandemic-linked restrictions from Feb. 28 as an Omicron-fuelled wave of infections ebbs.... People will no longer be legally required to wear masks, physical distancing measures in schools will end, and the national testing and tracing program will be scaled back. Government advice that masks should be worn on public transport and in healthcare settings will remain."
Read more:  https://www.saltwire.com/atlantic-canada/news/ireland-drops-most-of-its-remaining-covid-restrictions-100696551/

Iceland Lifts Several National COVID-19 Rules Including Quarantine Requirement | Schwengen News:

February 12, 2022 - "According to a press release issued by Iceland’s Ministry of Health yesterday, on February 12, persons who are already in self-isolation do not need to undergo COVID-19 testing in order to end their quarantine period.... In addition, the same has revealed that citizens of Iceland who have been exposed to the virus will no longer be required to undergo testing.... While the authorities have emphasised that the entry rules will remain unchanged for incoming travellers, they have announced that less stringent national COVID-19 restrictions will now apply within the country.

"Starting from today, the number of people allowed in indoor areas during the same time will be increased to 200. Previously, there was a limit of 50 persons. On the other hand, limitations in the number of persons for outdoor areas will be removed. Similarly, stores will no longer have restrictions in place when it comes to the number of people that are allowed access.

"Crowded events with up to 1,000 persons will also now be allowed, provided that everyone is seated and wears a mask. Regarding the requirement to wear a mask while in outdoor and indoor public areas, the Ministry has explained that citizens of the country, as well as travellers, will be required to follow this requirement only if the one-meter-distance rules can not be followed."
Read more: https://www.schengenvisainfo.com/news/iceland-lifts-several-national-covid-19-rules-including-quarantine-requirement/

Iceland to lift all COVID-19 restrictions on Friday | Reuters:

February 23, 2022 - "Iceland will lift all remaining COVID-19 restrictions on Friday, including a 200-person indoor gathering limit and restricted opening hours for bars, the Ministry of Health said on Wednesday. 'Widespread societal resistance to COVID-19 is the main route out of the epidemic,' the ministry said in a statement, citing infectious disease authorities. 'To achieve this, as many people as possible need to be infected with the virus as the vaccines are not enough, even though they provide good protection against serious illness,' it added. All border restrictions would also be lifted, it said." [stress added]
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/business/healthcare-pharmaceuticals/iceland-lift-all-covid-19-restrictions-friday-media-reports-2022-02-23/

Europeans protest Covid vaccine mandates

Protests hit Athens and Paris over new coronavirus restrictions, vaccine mandates | Washington Post - Erin Cunningham & Isabelle Khurshudyan:

July 15, 2021 - "Protests flared in France and Greece on Wednesday as residents angry over coronavirus curbs and vaccine mandates in both countries marched against new, stricter regulations that they say discriminate against people unwilling to be inoculated.

"In Paris, demonstrators clashed with police after French President Emmanuel Macron ... mandated vaccinations for all health-care workers and said new rules would require unvaccinated people to show negative coronavirus tests before entering bars, restaurants and other entertainment venues.

"Also this week, Greek authorities said all medical workers would need to be immunized or face penalties, and only vaccinated individuals would be allowed to use public indoor spaces until Aug. 31, through the height of Greece’s tourism season. The policies prompted demonstrations in Athens, where thousands gathered outside parliament Wednesday under heavy police presence."
Read more: https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/2021/07/15/coronavirus-latest-updates/

France protests: clashes with police on Bastille Day amid anger at tighter Covid rules | The Guardian - Agence France-Presse:

July 14, 2021 -  "Protests began in the French capital on Wednesday morning as the annual military parade for the traditional Bastille Day parade was taking place along the famous Champs-Élysées watched by president Emmanuel Macron. The demonstrators are unhappy at the decision announced on Monday to oblige health workers to get vaccinated and bring in a vaccine health pass for most public places. Unvaccinated people would require, for example, a negative test result to enter restaurants.

"In one area of the French capital police fired teargas to disperse the crowd. The declared route was not respected, the prefecture of police said in a tweet, condemning the 'throwing of projectiles' and lighting of fires by the protesters. 

"Throughout Paris some 2,250 people protested, while other demonstrations took place in Toulouse, Bordeaux, Montpelier, Nantes and elsewhere. The French authorities put the total number of protesters at 19,000."
Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/world/2021/jul/15/france-protests-clashes-with-police-on-bastille-day-amid-anger-at-tighter-covid-rules

In Athens, thousands rally against COVID-19 vaccinations | Reuters:

July 14, 2021 - "More than 5,000 anti-vaccine protesters, some them waving Greek flags and wooden crosses, rallied in Athens on Wednesday to oppose Greece’s coronavirus vaccinations programme. Shouting 'take your vaccines and get out of here!' and calling on Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis to resign, the protesters gathered outside parliament under heavy police presence....

"On Monday, the government ordered the mandatory vaccination of healthcare workers and nursing home staff following a steep rise in new COVID-19 infections in the middle of the vital tourism season."
Read more: https://www.reuters.com/article/us-health-coronavirus-greece-vaccines-pr/in-athens-thousands-rally-against-covid-19-vaccinations-idUSKBN2EK2FL

Hundreds of people protest Government response to pandemic | Irish Times - Sarah Burns & Marie O'Halloran:

July 15, 2021 - "Hundreds of people gathered outside the Convention Centre in Dublin on Wednesday night to protest against the Government’s response to the Covid-19 pandemic. Protestors, which included some anti-mask and anti-vaccination demonstrators, congregated outside the Docklands venue at 9pm and had dispersed by around 1am....

"TDs [members of the lower house of parliament] on Wednesday passed Government legislation to allow for the reopening of indoor dining. The Health (Amendment No.2) Bill 2021 will allow pubs and restaurants to resume indoor service for those who are fully vaccinated against Covid-19 or who have recovered from the disease in the last six months....

"Waving flags and shouting various slogans including 'shame on you' the crowd crossed all age groups but included a large number of young people and those who said they had never previously attended a demonstration before but were angry at what they perceived as a division of society between the vaccinated and unvaccinated, which they said was discriminatory."
Read more: https://www.irishtimes.com/news/ireland/irish-news/hundreds-of-people-protest-government-response-to-pandemic-1.4621261

Lockdowns spread to Ireland, Germany, Czechia

Ireland reimposes lockdown measures as coronavirus cases surge | Global News - Padraic Halpin, Reuters:

October 20, 2020 - "Ireland announced some of Europe’s toughest COVID-19 constraints on Monday, shutting non-essential retail, limiting restaurants and pubs to take away service and telling people not to travel more than five kilometers (3 miles) from their home. Ireland imposed one of Europe’s longest lockdowns during the first surge in coronavirus cases and eased restrictions at such a cautious pace that pubs that only serve drinks in Dublin had not reopened by the time a rise in infections prompted a tightening of curbs.

"This time, schools will stay open and essential services such as construction are allowed to continue, Prime Minister Micheal Martin said, as he moved the country to the highest level of restrictions, Level 5, for six weeks from midnight Wednesday. Hotels may remain open, but only if their rooms are needed by essential workers. Martin said the government’s aim was to return to Level 3 by Dec. 1. That would allow all retailers to reopen and restaurants to serve 15 customers outdoors. Even then, another lockdown could not be ruled out in 2021, he added."

Read more: https://globalnews.ca/news/7407425/ireland-coronavirus-lockdown-restrictions/

Coronavirus: German Alpine region goes into lockdown | BBC News: 

October 20, 2020 - "An Alpine area of southern Germany has gone into a new lockdown, the first part of the country to do so since the first Covid peak earlier this year. The 105,000 people of Berchtesgadener Land, bordering Austria, will only be allowed to leave home for essential reasons for the next two weeks.

"Like much of Europe, Germany is confronting a sharp rise in infections.... But the local infection rate in Berchtesgadener Land, part of the state of Bavaria, has hit 273 per 100,000 over the past week, which is why the fresh lockdown - being called a 'circuit breaker' - has been imposed.

"Schools, restaurants, bars, theatres, gyms, cinemas and hotels will be closed, but church services will be allowed. Visitors to the tourist town of Berchtesgaden have been asked to leave."

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/world-europe-54618827

Breaking: New Czech anti-COVID-19 lockdown measures to close shops and services as of Thursday, October 22 | Expats.cz - Jason Pirodsky:  

October 21, 2020 - "After a record-breaking day when the Czech Republic announced nearly 12,000 new COVID-19 cases, Health Minister Roman Prymula and other members of the Czech government have announced a new series of lockdown measures that will close most shops and services from Thursday.... With the exception of grocery stores, drugstores, pharmacies, and other shops providing essential goods ... all retail stores in the Czech Republic must close as of 6:00 a.m. on Thursday morning, October 22. The same applies to hairdressers, nail salons, and other venues providing similar services. In larger shopping centers, only the allowed shops may be open from tomorrow. Restaurants in shopping centers may still operate take-away windows (as well as restaurants outside of shopping centers).

"Additionally, outside groups will be limited to a maximum of two, with the exception of family members from the same household. According to Czech Health Minister Roman Prymula, only necessary travel should be undertaken, such as traveling to work or to buy food and other supplies.... 

"In order to limit the contact of civil servants with the public, state offices have been ordered to switch to home office if possible. Public office opening hours have been limited to ten hours per week, and all visitors are required to make an appointment in advance; no queues should be formed at the offices. The new measures do not affect the operation of nurseries and kindergartens, which may remain open. All other schools in the Czech Republic have switched to distance learning.

"The new measures will last until the end of the current state of emergency in the Czech Republic, on November 3. At that time, the measures will be repealed, loosened, or extended, assuming the Czech state of emergency is also extended."

Read more: https://www.expats.cz/czech-news/article/breaking-new-czech-anti-covid-19-measures-to-close-shops-and-services 

Northern Ireland, Wales locked down again

Coronavirus: Northern Ireland to go into four-week partial lockdown | The Guardian - Rory Carroll:

October 14, 2020 - "Northern Ireland is to close schools, pubs and restaurants as part of new restrictions to try to contain exploding rates of Covid-19 infection. Arlene Foster, the first minister, announced the partial lockdown on Wednesday at a special sitting of the Stormont assembly.... The new rules take effect from Friday and are to last four weeks with the exception of schools, which will shut for two weeks.

"The hospitality sector will close apart from deliveries and takeaways. Off-licences and supermarkets cannot sell alcohol after 8pm. There will be no indoor sport or organised contact sport involving mixing of households, other than at elite level. Close-contact services, apart from essential health services, are to cease. Mobile hairdressers and makeup artists are banned from working in homes. Gyms can remain open for individual training but no classes are permitted. Places of worship can stay open but people must wear face coverings when entering and exiting.

"'Bubbles' will be limited to 10 people from two households, with no overnight stays unless people are in a bubble. Universities will be encouraged to use distance learning only.... Foster, the leader of the Democratic Unionist party,... said the measures did not amount to a lockdown and promised financial support to cushion businesses. Some business leaders had lobbied against fresh restrictions, warning of bankruptcies and job losses.

"Foster implored people and businesses to get 'back to the basics' of social distancing, hand hygiene and other measures and hinted at further measures should infection rates continue to climb.... Northern Ireland’s cumulative seven-day rate of infections per 100,000 people is 334, one of the highest in Europe.... On Wednesday, Northern Ireland’s department of health reported four deaths and a further 1,217 infections, raising the totals since the pandemic began to 602 deaths and 23,115 infections."

Read more: https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2020/oct/14/coronavirus-northern-ireland-to-be-put-under-partial-lockdown

Covid: Wales to go into 'firebreak' lockdown from Friday | BBC News: 

October 19, 2020 - "Wales will go into a 'short, sharp' national lockdown from Friday until 9 November. People will be told to stay at home and pubs, restaurants, hotels and non-essential shops must shut. Primary schools will reopen after the half-term break, but only Years 7 and 8 in secondary schools can return at that time under new 'firebreak' rules. Gatherings indoors and outdoors with people not in your household will also be banned.

"First Minister Mark Drakeford said the 'time-limited firebreak' would be 'a short, sharp, shock to turn back the clock, slow down the virus and buy us more time'. Without action the NHS would not be able to cope, Mr Drakeford told a press conference.... 

"Under the lockdown leisure businesses, community centres, libraries and recycling centres will shut. Places of worship will be closed for normal services, except for funerals and weddings.... Halloween and Bonfire Night gatherings will not be allowed under the restrictions.... But there will be an exception for small Remembrance Sunday commemoration services on 8 November. Non-essential cross border travel in and out of Wales 'will have to end' during the firebreak period, Mr Drakeford said....

• People will have to stay at home except for very limited reasons, such as exercise
• People must work from home where they can
• People must not visit other households or meet other people they do not live with either indoors and outdoors
• All non-food retail will shut, and cafes, restaurants and pubs will close unless they provide delivery or takeaways
• Hotels, hairdressers and beauticians will have to shut
• People breaching the rules could be fined, with fixed penalty notices starting at £60.

"The previous lockdown continued for months past its initial three weeks, but Mr Drakeford said the firebreak would end on 9 November."

Read more: https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-wales-54598136