While it is in progress meeting of infectious diseases specialists, the Kyriakos Mitsotakis left the window wide open relaxation of measures, against the pandemic. Speaking in the context of the pre-agenda debate in the Parliament, on Friday, 15/01/21, stressed that according to official ECDC data all of Europe is red and the only yellow countries with some green regions are Greece and Finland. In fact, he announced that the festive period was relatively uneventful and that the lockdown imposed by the government.
«The successful response to the 2nd wave is first and foremost due to the extraordinary efforts of the sanitary Staff», he said, adding that especially in November and December in the stressed areas, they went above and beyond and with humanity and professionalism contributed to the de-escalation. «If something dramatic had happened during the holidays Christmas and New Year's Day it would have already been seen. Fortunately we seem to have got over the holiday hurdle without any turbulence and this was helped by the government's political decision to revert to a stricter regime. lockdown than what the experts recommended,» the Prime Minister said.
At the same time, citing the relevant ECDC maps, he also spoke about the situation in the ICU. «Today we have 424 empty beds in ICUs in ESY. We have the security to be able to discuss a further relaxation of restrictions and a return to normality of economic and social life as well as the main objective was achieved to discuss relaxing measures only as soon as the burden on the NHS is significantly reduced,» he said, possibly foreshadowing the upcoming decision of the Committee of Infectious Diseases.
Increase in fine for retailers
Referring to the issue of opening the market, he said that the government is ready to implement the gradual opening from Monday if there is a positive recommendation. The fine will be increased from 300 to 500 for violators.
Announce measures
- The 80% professional rent cover is extended for the whole of February
- All expired unemployment benefits are extended and will be paid normally for 2 more months
To this end, he even referred to the positivity rate of the tests. Today, he said, it is below 3% and «fortunately the index is decreasing». «As we increase the tests we are doing we have a greater ability to do what the epidemiologists are calling for random sampling,» he added, arguing in favour of cautiously opening up the retail sector.
Explaining the current situation, he noted that the second wave of the pandemic «came» to our country last November and consequently the country was driven to a rapid increase in hospital admissions and an increase in intubation. «The sharp increase in hospitalizations that accompanied the deaths started early November. It was dramatic it reached a peak of about 4,500 early December and began to de-escalate and today we are hospitalising 1,690 of our fellow citizens with covid,» he said adding that we currently have only 328 intubated. As for deaths, he pointed out that in the relevant «gruesome» list we are in 21st place or «the fifth best country in deaths». Moreover, the Prime Minister noted that yesterday «Greece had the lowest number of deaths in the EU and we hope that this trend will continue».
Every Friday announcements
At the same time, Kyriakos Mitsotakis spoke about the «method» with the weekly announcements, especially those made every Friday regarding the lifting or the imposition of new measures. «We have moved to a more institutionalized decision-making process in a health committee that will meet every Thursday, will make decisions, will make recommendations and the government on a weekly basis every Friday will announce the measures,» he said, but clarified that on an emergency basis and based on the evidence that emerges, the Civil Protection can intervene in the decisions.
Attack on Tsipras
Finally, the Prime Minister also attacked the opposition on the occasion of the Tsipras proposal «Good thing you didn't call for Pfizer and AstraZeneca to be nationalized with a law and an article. After the money trees, you discovered the vaccine trees,» he said to the warm applause of the New Democracy MPs.
