The country will pay a 'heavy cost' if the planned reopening goes ahead next Friday, according to a leading health expert.
The Government will make a decision on Tuesday about whether almost all restrictions will ease on October 22nd.
It would allow nightclubs to reopen, vaccine certs to be scrapped, and almost all social-distancing and mask-wearing to end.
But Trinity College neuro-scientist, Tomás Ryan, says that should be deferred due to the worsening Covid situation.
"regarding the October 22nd reopening I think it would be foolish to march ahead and pretend like nothing is happening. But if we simply open as though there's not a problem, then we are going to be paying a heavy cost, sooner or later. What we've learned in the pandemic thus far is that paying afterwards is far more expensive than paying up front."
