Additional reporting from Vivienne Clarke
The former president of the Irish College of General Practitioners (ICGP) and a member of NPHET, Dr Mary Favier has said that the “absolute reality” and “inevitable truth” of the current Covid-19 figures was that a lockdown would be necessary because of the vulnerability of the health care system.
However, other public health experts have said a move to Level Five of the Government's Living with COVID plan would be an "extreme reaction".
“Something needs to be done to protect it,” Dr Favier told RTÉ.
If the Covid-19 numbers continue at their current trajectory then there could be 1,500 cases per day by the beginning of November and hospitals would be at full occupancy, adding that the health system is already under strain with both COVID cases and non-COVID cases, she said.
“GPs are concerned at what this winter is going to look like. It’s not just a fear, it’s a reality.”
Dr Favier said there was a concern that if there was a serious traffic accident or a cardiac incident that there would not be an ICU bed available as they would be occupied by COVID patients.
In contrast, Professor Jack Lambert from the Mater, Rotunda and UCD School of Medicine thinks the sudden move could be over the top.
"I think it's quite an extreme reaction and my questions are, back in February and March, it was probably necessary because we had huge numbers of people in the community without even knowing it, who had COVID, with very little testing done, but here we are, seven months later and what have we done to prepare for the next wave?"
Polling data had shown that people understand the need for solidarity and further restrictions, while health care workers were concerned that there were not sufficient staff within the system.
Prof Lambert added that the enforcement of preventative measures was very important and that people needed to be compliant with public health measures.
Professor Anthony Staines from DCU says he does not think lockdown is the right way to go, but a lot of Europe is moving towards stricter measures as rates of the virus continue to spike around the continent.
"There is a lockdown in Madrid, a lockdown in Paris, and as we speak, there is a serious proposal for a lockdown in Northern Ireland.
"I think the right approach is to have a very carefully thought out, well-explained plan that says how are we getting suppression and where do we go at the end of that."
