Nationwide Level 5 lockdown 'not merited' says TD

(Above) Deputy Peter Burke with Tanáiste Leo Varadkar.

Westmeath and other counties with relatively low Covid-19 rates "should not be penalised for what is happening in Dublin", a local government TD has said.

Speaking ahead of the Cabinet's meeting later today to discuss whether or not to take NPHET's advice that Level 5 restrictions be introduced across the country, Minister of State Peter Burke questioned whether this would be a “proportionate” measure given the low infection rates in many parts of the country.

“If the acting chief medical officer on Thursday afternoon subsequent to a NPHET meeting could say that there is no evidence to warrant any part of the country moving outside of Dublin and Donegal moving on to Level 3, how on Sunday can you argue that we have to lockdown the whole country? I find that very surprising. What happened between Thursday and Sunday that warrants such a decision? I need to know the answer to that.

“We really need to take a hard look at the implications for our society, for how we function in our economy, our mental health and the subsequent implications of a lockdown compared with that.”

Deputy Burke added that while the number of cases in some parts of the country could warrant the introduction of more severe restrictions, he does not believe that this is the case in Westmeath and many other counties.

“I just can't see how one can make the case if you have five cases like yesterday in Westmeath in a population of 80,000 people, how that merits a full lockdown. I do not think it does. I think you have to proportionality. We need a proportionate response to the different areas and I don't think that is proportionate.

“I want to be very clear, I would always heed public health advice. I think Dublin and Donegal are in a far different situation and perhaps Cork and Limerick than we are here in the midlands. They are in a far different space and I don't think we should be penalised for what is happening in Dublin,” he said.

The Fine Gael man says that until a vaccine is found and rolled out across the population, Ireland will have to learn to “live alongside Covid-19”. A nationwide lockdown should not be introduced unless the health system comes under “significant pressure”, he says.

“Lockdowns, what they achieve is that the buy time. They don't solve the problem. As you gradually open up the economy again the cases will start to increase. My firm view is that we have to live alongside Covid-19. We have to run society parallel to the virus, but we have to do it in a safe way.

“Ninety nine per cent of people are doing perfectly well but we have to stamp out this behaviour of congregating and what we saw in Dublin at the weekend [at the anti-mask march] was desperate. We need to have physical distancing at all times, we should be reducing our contacts, making sure hygiene levels are kept high and wearing masks. If we don't do these things, we will have a lockdown. I am at pains to point out that the majority of society are adhering to the rules and it is a huge burden on them, but it is the small few again.

“If you look at this in the main, you have three main regions that are in difficulty at the moment. I think those may have to increase a level, but I don't think we need to down here, as long as our cases remain low. I don't think that is proportionate.”