A Donegal-based GP has warned the county could remain in level five over Christmas, as the rest of the the country moves forward.
The county's estimated 14-day incidence rate of COVID-19 is more than double the national average.
Dr Martin Coyne told Pat Kenny border county TDs need to come together on this.
"I really would like to see border TDs in general - not just Donegal TDs but also those in Cavan, Monaghan, Louth - really get together on this because I do not see the leadership.
"And I'm not critical of the Gardaí - I'm sure they have huge resource issue and try to do a horrible job, stand out in the cold, wet and rain on Lifford Bridge, etc.
"Something has to be done because Donegal is not coming out of level five - the rest of the country will come out of level five - but we will be stuck in it for Christmas.
"The point then is that we will have border controls, but the border controls will be south Donegal going in Sligo - I won't be able to leave my county, whereas I can leave it freely now to go into Northern Ireland."
Dr Coyne said the open border with Northern Ireland remains a huge problem.
"The overall figure for Donegal is twice the national average, but if you actually look at the map west Donegal is not affected to the degree that we are at all.
"So the real contribution to those high numbers is coming from east Donegal - from the Buncrana, south to Lifford, south to Castlefin sort of area."
'Conspiracy hotspot'
"We have a very active COVID conspiracy hotspot in Donegal, in east Donegal, who are very active on social media, critical of me, critical of the lockdown in general.
"And [they are] going out of their way to behave irresponsibly.
"Going out of their way to organise, for instance, a post-US election Trump party inviting all of their co-conspirators.
"So this is the craziness we have to deal with in Donegal as well".
He said cross-border travel is also continuing to have a big impact.
"As I sit talking to you now I'm 20 yards away from Lifford Bridge, and there's a steady stream of traffic going over and back.
"There's absolutely no comparison between level five restrictions and what we went through in lockdown.
"It's as if there's nothing happening, there just doesn't seem to be a pandemic.
"There's an absolute free movement over the bridge: there's no restrictions, there's no discouragement to travel over and back.
"There was a large Garda presence there for the first week of level five, and very, very little since".
"To the small percentage of people who are not behaving themselves who think it is absolutely important that they get across to a retail premises in Derry to do some Christmas shopping, I'm saying to them 'Cop on, this is ridiculous'.
"But to the vast majority of people in Donegal who are behaving themselves, I'm saying 'Well done and keep it up'".
It comes as Northern Ireland politicians meet for a fourth day, to try and agree on a way forward for the region.
The DUP has twice vetoed proposals to extend the lockdown there - due to expire at midnight on Thursday - put forward by the Northern Health Minister Robin Swann and supported by all other parties in the executive.
