RTÉ Brainstorm – What should the Government do to combat Covid fatigue?
Whitaker Institute member Dr Hannah Durand, of the Health and Well-Being cluster, has written a new article for RTÉ Brainstorm. The piece looks at what the government should do to combat Covid fatigue.
What should the Government do to combat Covid fatigue?
“Survey respondents consistently said that threats of fines, arrest, and quarantine are least likely to persuade them to practice self-isolation or social distancing”
Analysis: people need to see clear evidence that their sacrifices are making a difference in order to stick to ongoing restrictions rather than fines or arrests
Last Sunday night, the National Public Health Emergency Team (NPHET) sent a letter to Government which recommended that all counties in Ireland be upgraded to Level 5 of the Resilience and Recovery 2020 – 2021: Plan for Living with COVID-19 plan. Instead, the Government opted to place all counties under Level 3 restrictions and to implement a new campaign of enforcement with additional funding provided to the Garda.
But is additional enforcement of Level 3 restrictions the key to both avoiding another lockdown and flattening the curve? Data from the International COVID-19 Awareness and Responses Evaluation (iCARE) study suggests probably not. Continue reading…