The Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis explained why he rejected the proposal for a rapid test and to vaccinated people during his proposal to the Minister.
As he characteristically stated:
“Certainly at this time our weapons are the tests. Everyone, vaccinated or not, should do a self test. While diagnostic tests will continue to be performed everywhere by the state crews.
It is true that I received suggestions for mandatory rapid tests for everyone to enter entertainment venues. I rejected them, because I considered that such a measure would be unfair for the vaccinated and in the end it would be very difficult to implement it. So instead of imposing something on everyone, I chose to trust everyone.
And for this very purpose the state will provide two more free self tests to the entire population. By recommending the former to be used during the holidays and the latter immediately after the New Year. And I urge our fellow citizens to use them, especially before the festive mass gatherings.
I think the importance of this initiative must be fully understood. Because it will allow all of us to control our health in real time. But it will ultimately make entertainment more comfortable, freer, safer, knowing that the environment in which we find ourselves will be safer.
And I will ask our fellow citizens not to limit themselves to just the two free self tests given by the state, but at their own discretion, whenever they are in public places, themselves with a sense of responsibility towards their health and the health of the people they love. , to go ahead and do additional self tests, so that we have a real picture in real time of the evolution of the pandemic “.
Mr. Mitsotakis stated that in the second line of defense, measures are included, such as hours in catering and entertainment and teleworking:
“The second phase of our defense concerns the first weeks of 2022. And depending on the evolution of the pandemic, we have at our disposal a range of options, such as the extension of telework, the adjustment of hours in catering and entertainment. No, however, suspension of the operation of schools. But everything, I emphasize, will be judged by the data then. No decision has been made yet.
Already the timely initiative to open the third installment for all ages, to start the vaccinations of children – to thank the parents who respond very positively to this initiative – to intensify the shielding of those over 60, to control those entering from abroad and with molecular, but also with rapid test, all these form a first zone of defense.
It is now our turn to celebrate. Happy gatherings should not become sources of pain. Our defense is the tests and the basic precautions. And our attitude today will judge our decisions tomorrow.
I want to emphasize that the Greek state has already allocated almost 80 million, I repeat, millions of free self tests, worth almost 150 million euros. And this care of the state will continue, now framed by other weapons, such as new drugs, the use of which will spread quickly after their official approval.
So the message this year is that the best holidays are the safe holidays. We do not need new measures at the moment. It is enough, I emphasize, to observe the measures that already exist. With frequent checks, acceleration of vaccinations, especially the booster dose, and as I told you with many self tests, so that we ourselves can check the state of our health.
This is a common bet of the state and citizens against Omicron. And that must be answered and won in the coming weeks. And I believe that with responsibility and maturity we can win this bet as well. “
At the beginning of his introduction, the Prime Minister referred to the “Omicron” mutation: “Our agenda today still includes the strategic government policy plan for 2022, ie our planning for next year, at the beginning of which, unfortunately, the shadow of Omicron mutation of the coronavirus. I recognize everyone’s fatigue after almost two years. We hoped that the vaccine would bring an end to this adventure and now a new outbreak is coming to delay it. But neither fatigue nor fear must defeat us.
As we have explained many times, this is a global health risk that is already leading many countries to reconsider their strategy, as the Omicron mutation is clearly much more contagious. It seems to multiply in a few days. We do not yet know her morbidity. But there is a strong concern that this sharp rise could put health systems under too much pressure.
I want to emphasize that the measures that we see taken by other countries have been in force in Greece for a long time. In many other European countries they had a much more relaxed approach to the pandemic. In Denmark or the United Kingdom, for example, even the mask was removed and virtually all the checks that were made were substandard. And that’s why they are now rushing to stricter restrictions.
On the contrary, in our country, because we had fewer vaccinations, we maintained the controlled access to closed spaces and of course the personal protection measures, which now justify their necessity. At the same time, however, it turns out that the third dose of the vaccine repels severe disease from the Omicron mutation. So, as the cases here in the last weeks are in recession and in a continuous downward course – it is a recession of 40% in relation to the cases of the previous wave – our goal for the coming weeks is twofold:
On the one hand, to delay – as much as possible – the spread of the new variant, which is certain to dominate at some point. On the other hand, to use this window in time to shield ourselves all, especially with the third booster vaccine.
Citizens understand, respond and I thank them for that. More than 4 million, 7 out of 10 beneficiaries, have already rushed to make an appointment for the boost. And almost 150,000 of our fellow citizens over 60, the most vulnerable, have made an appointment in the last month or made the first installment. And it is an answer to all those who had challenged the obligation in this age group that needs it so much. Thus, this group of over 60 is now approaching the vaccination rates of Europe. “It’s something that needs to be continued and something that needs to be intensified.”
The Prime Minister criticized the stance taken by SYRIZA, as the official opposition on the issue of the pandemic:
“Unfortunately, the official opposition is absent from this new battle for health. The only one in the world who instead of solutions to the common threat suddenly remembered the elections to solve her own internal problems. It is the end of a descent for SYRIZA, having previously voted against almost all anti-pandemic policies. Always against what unites and always close to what divides.
And I sincerely regret a party that, contrary to what its leader said a while ago, chooses to become a conscious saboteur of the country. He rejected the ballots when the pandemic was receding and is asking for them now that Omicron is attacking. Pity.
But the health of Greeks is above parties and their differences. That is why I believe that citizens are ultimately indifferent to those who are indifferent to the common good.
So, today we are addressing the citizens with a two-phase plan. “With the first step to spend the holidays safely, without freezing the economy and society but also without the activities of these days to cost us later.”
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