The biggest difference for me btw now and March is the strength and loudness of the debates around strategy. And I find it hard to figure out where to land on certain things.

But here are a few info-led pieces that might help if you’re in the same boat.

The Lancet had a paper from multiple researchers around the world looking at what countries have done well, why and if it’s replicable https://www.thejournal.ie/covid-19-ireland-sweden-new-zealand-5213704-Sep2020/

This is why the WHO has been saying about lockdowns - what to use them for if the spread of Covid makes them unavoidable https://jrnl.ie/5237323 

This is from a while ago but looks at the decisions Taiwan made at the start of all this.

Interesting to note that people there did have privacy concerns (data is widely shared and tracking done) but just got on with it. https://www.irishtimes.com/life-and-style/health-family/how-taiwan-has-confounded-predictions-in-fending-off-the-worst-of-covid-19-1.4229660

Iceland has had similar novel approaches... a public-private partnership with a genetics firm, as well as enforced quarantine.

https://theconversation.com/what-coronavirus-success-of-taiwan-and-iceland-has-in-common-140455

Singapore has been lauded. Just 4 imported cases at the moment. But there were problems https://www.bbc.com/news/world-asia-54082861

South Korea - again there was backlash about access to GPS data by government but it has worked with free treatment, isolation in hospitals etc

https://www.wsj.com/articles/lessons-from-south-korea-on-how-to-manage-covid-11601044329

Arguably, Finland is more interesting that Sweden. It’s reasons for doing so well come from early lockdown, but also from some fairly unique factors https://www.irishtimes.com/news/world/europe/how-finland-kept-covid-19-in-check-and-protected-its-economy-1.4364512

None of this gives me a definitive opinion on what Ireland should have or could do. There are so many unknowns. I would be interested if ppl would allow gps tracking, for e.g.

The Lancet piece above says although ideas can’t be transplanted exactly, we should be open to them