Laois Lockdown Editorial
Editorial:
So almost 30 minutes into Six-One news on RTE and hardly a mention of the meat factories that double as COVID-19 cluster bombs . Comical but hardly surprising. We had issues with multiple meat processing plants in late spring and early summer. Employers in that sector do not tend to offer sick pay (90% in fact do not. Source: Paul Colgan Economic Correspondent Virgin Media News). So the asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic workers continue to go to work, getting lifts from or giving lifts to co-workers who don’t have the virus. It spreads before they even get inside the factory gates. Then on a production line where they all work side by side it continues to spread like wildfire.
Instead of dealing with this problem that has been well flagged for six months you allow it to continue by not insisting the factories close with the workers getting full pay while off work. No. You place the full burden on the people of our county and Kildare and Offaly when you failed to deal with the Beef Barons earlier in a coherent and forceful manner.
You will not hear this analysis on RTE though. Why is that? Your comments and thoughts are very welcome at this stage.
PS Laois had five new COVID-19 cases today. (Source: RTE News) Yet our county is closed down. On these figures community transmission in Laois seems low. Yet the whole county is now facing into a fortnight of a punitive lockdown. It seems disproportionate and extreme. Why? Again we would welcome your thoughts and comments.