The Irish Medical Organisation says the health service is being hit by a "perfect storm" due to the high rates of Covid-19.
It says the next few weeks will be "critical" with GP surgeries, hospitals and ICU units all under "extraordinary pressure".
Case numbers have been above 3 thousand for the last six days in a row.
RCSI Senior Lecturer, Eoghan De Barra says hospitals are facing a challenging period.
"We have significant numbers of essentially a new disease which is taking up capacity in the health service, which means our ability to do business as usual is severely impact.
"This is a winter like no other, because at least last winter we had the ability of those very blunt instruments of lockdown and restrictions which bought time and space for the health service.
"This year it's looking more challenging because it's unlikely we're going to revert to those measures."
