Several states and countries have made drastic changes due to rising concerns over COVID-19. President Donald Trump declared a state of emergency on March 13 while the United Kingdom has issued a stay at home order. Now UFC star Conor McGregor is calling for Ireland to go into full lockdown.
McGregor posted a video on his Instagram account on Tuesday morning, calling for the President of Ireland and other members of the government to take action. He wants to see a lockdown put into place in order to prevent further loss of life and the spread of the coronavirus. McGregor believes that Ireland has an advantage over other countries that have dealt with the outbreak due to them seeing what can and will happen. However, he is afraid that this advantage will disappear if his fellow citizens do not take the necessary steps.
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“I respect you all greatly, and I would like to put forth some of my thinking. I would like to say that while we are currently debating a full lockdown, I feel that we must,” McGregor said. “Any time spent debating this is needless time from the clock. I know a good, tough fight when I see one, and we have one on our hands now.”
McGregor compared the coronavirus concerns to a bout in the octagon. He believes that all of the citizens of Ireland are gathered in the “red corner” and are waiting for the bell to start the fight. Instead of waiting, however, he is calling for them to ring the bell themselves.
“True lockdown must begin, and it must begin now,” McGregor continued. “A lockdown together, a lockdown united. We must close our airport, we must close non-essential business, we must cut all non-essential travel.”
A full lockdown is a serious step and McGregor believes that it will help Ireland survive and conquer. He feels that it is a necessary step to prevent a further spread of illness, and he wants everyone united with a common goal in mind.
While this plea to his government and fellow citizens was far more serious in tone, McGregor did attempt to bring some levity to the situation. He recently joked about kicking the coronavirus in the face, which he illustrated with a post on Instagram.
The Irish MMA fighter showed himself kicking an unidentified opponent during a sparring session. The individual’s face was covered with a visual representation of the coronavirus. “Take that, corona virus,” McGregor wrote in the caption of his photo.
His kick to the face of the coronavirus was meant to make his fans and fellow citizens smile, but McGregor has a bigger goal on his mind. He wants Ireland to meet this pandemic head on and take the necessary steps to prevent the further spread.
(Photo Credit: Steve Marcus/Getty Images)
