Four-week lockdown is ‘pragmatic decision’ for NI says BMA Chair Dr Tom Black

Speaking this morning on the Nolan Show, he said the “logical decision is to go into a 4 week lockdown”.

He said at the current rate of infection hospitals will be over capacity.

Dr Black said “98 deaths in last week” are “quite high numbers”, adding that there is “a risk of health service being overwhelmed”.

He said the decision taken by the NI Executive was “pragmatic”.

“The decision was taken, a pragmatic decision, offering people a reasonable Christmas,” he said.

“Now a pragmatic decision between now and end the month will be announcing another lock down”.

He added: “The logical decision is to go into another four weeks of lockdown”.

“The Heath Service will be under pressure and that would be decision we would normally take if Christmas was not coming”.

Dr Black said he believed the NI Executive “will have to change their minds between now and Christmas”.

“We have a nightmare ahead of us in the Health Service”.

He added: “You don’t want the doctors to be making a decision on this, we make decisions based on health care”.