Alison O’Connor: New Zealand offers a glimpse of our future living with Covid-19

Ireland is about to introduce its new pandemic alert system which allows for more localised restrictions to quell the virus, writes Alison O’Connor

As Ireland prepares to introduce its new Covid-19 alert system, New Zealand provides a good example of the localised approach, applying higher levels of restrictions to areas with higher rates of infection, such as Auckland. Picture: Fiona Goodall/Getty Images

More than one million children are back at school, the Leaving Certificate results are out, owners of 'wet pubs' have finally been given the nod on reopening. Under any other circumstances, you might feel we have some cause for celebration. Instead, the horrible undercurrent of Covid-19 dread we’ve all been living with feels all the more intense, with a degree of aimlessness thrown in.

What’s my motivation here, you want to ask, like a Hollywood actor ruminating on which direction their character needs to be brought. I know we’re trying to suppress the virus, but are we to stay at home? Or go to the pub? Since I live in Dublin, I’m to make a special effort not to have too many people in the house — but what about going out? Should I welcome universities re-opening or hope they all stick with distance learning? How can I work out in my head if I’m under-cautious or overly so?