Скачать или смотреть Lifting level 5 restrictions could lead to 'thousands of cases and further lockdowns' - Tomás Ryan

The easing of restrictions out of level five on December 1st could lead to thousands of new cases of coronavirus and further lockdowns in the New Year, according to an immunology expert.

Dr Tomás Ryan, Associate Professor in the School of Biochemistry and Immunology at Trinity College Dublin, is warning that opening up the country again will put the health system under unmanageable pressure.

It comes as Cabinet ministers are meeting this morning to discuss the options for the lifting of level five restrictions.

No decision is expected today, but ministers will set out their views on what should be allowed to open from December 1st.

It is anticipated that the country will move to level three with some changes next week.

Speaking on Newstalk Breakfast, Dr Ryan advised that lockdowns should be used as "investments" in reducing the spread of COVID-19.

He said: "If we take our feet off the brakes on December 1st, we're going to have thousands of cases and we know our public health infrastructure cannot suppress this.

"If we open up on December 1st, we are admitting that the only way we can respond to this is by prolonged lockdowns, further lockdowns in January and beyond that.

"My view, and the view of my colleagues, is that we have invested heavily in restrictions so far and we need to consider, I don't like using the 'l' word, lockdown, as an investment.

"The concern is that if we squander that investment over a concentrated couple of weeks of activity, we're going to be not only increasing the health and mortality risks and the number of people getting infected, but more than that, we're going to be creating more restrictions for us."