Al. Tsipras: the situation is extremely serious, the only thing that is not serious is the government

«For a new fiasco with the rapid tests», accused the government, SYRIZA-PS President Alexis Tsipras, speaking at a teleconference with epidemiologists and scientists on the evolution of the pandemic, the Omicron mutation and the measures to be taken by the government.

In his introduction, Mr Tsipras said: «The situation is extremely serious, the only thing that is not serious unfortunately is the government. Unfortunately, in our country, inaction on the one hand and criminal regressions on the other, which are destroying the last vestiges of citizens“ trust in the state and the government, are continuing.

The new fiasco with the rapid tests that would be paid for by vaccinated and unvaccinated people, as government ministers said for the holidays, is indicative of the lack of planning, since after the legitimate reactions they were turned into self-tests, which are extremely unreliable, Tsipras said and added: «And all this, of course, once again in the absence of scientists, since members of the Commission have denied that they made a relevant recommendation.».

Addressing the scientists, he said he called the meeting «to see what needs to be done now, immediately, to avoid the worst and possibly another disastrous lockdown that will once again seal the failed policy that is being followed. I want to hear your thoughts, your suggestions on what we need to do to save what can be saved.».

Tsipras criticized the government for its actions and omissions since the outbreak of the pandemic and presented his party's proposals, while he also asked for the proposals of scientists.

Tsipras said: «It is unthinkable 2 years later, we are still discussing tasting and tracing. Rapid tests, vaccinated and unvaccinated, must be made available en masse to all citizens, obviously with compensation from the state, and not self-tests which are of reduced reliability.

It is inconceivable that we have exceeded 20,000 deaths, that we have this gruesome first place in Europe and one of the worst performances in the world, that we have more than 150 people every day being casually intubated outside the ICU and that even now the requisitioning of private clinics and the inclusion of military hospitals in the battle is not progressing. Every day people are lost who could be saved, as unfortunately confirmed by the revelation of the study by your colleagues Mr. Tsiodra and Mr. Lytra, which not only ignored Mr. Mitsotakis, but continues today to ignore it ostentatiously.».

He asked the government to proceed immediately with the recruitment of more than 800 doctors who have done their paperwork and are waiting on the lists of when they will be appointed, as well as to activate immediately in the battle against the pandemic the Primary Health Care for pre-hospital care. The SYRIZA president also suggested. It is an absolutely necessary step to get as many patients as needed to the hospital in time and in a better condition, as it is often irreversible.

Finally stop the messages of relaxation and the government nonsense about a pandemic of unvaccinated people and make the use of masks mandatory for everyone, especially in all enclosed areas.

Immediately implement extensive teleworking where it can be implemented, as workplaces have become one of the main hotspots of overload, and this will also decongest the means of transport.

And of course, schools cannot reopen after the holidays as they were closed. After the holidays and in view of the Omicron mutation, substitute teachers must finally be hired through express procedures to break up the 28 and 29-student class sizes. And change the 50+1% protocol, i.e. 13-14 students getting sick to the point of closing a class. Because this, although the children are thankfully mildly ill, means that the virus is being carried into the homes, to the parents, grandparents. With a quarter of the cases every day involving children under the age of 17, we all understand what this means for the uncontrolled explosion of spread through schools. That is why we have proposed and we insist: with the first case, the classroom should be closed for three days and the pupils should return having undergone a compulsory molecular test, to be reimbursed by the State.

And finally, perhaps most importantly, a major new campaign not only for the third but also for the first dose of vaccination, in which our country is among the worst in Western Europe. A campaign along the lines of Portugal, which has reached the point of having vaccinated almost 100% of its population. Door to door, in collaboration with local government, which, as the operators themselves told me at a meeting, was never asked for its assistance, with the Help at Home programme and primary care.

These are some obvious measures that need to be taken immediately, measures that are also requested by the stakeholders with whom they have met in the last two weeks.».

The teleconference was attended by the head of the SYRIZA PS section Andreas Xanthos, the Professor of Hematology at the University of Sorbonne Gregory Gerotziafas, the Associate Professor of Medicine and clinical oncologist at Harvard Medical School Othonas Iliopoulos, Ms. Professor of Epidemiology at the University of Athens Athena Linou, Associate Professor of Pulmonology at the University of Athens Yannis Kalomenidis, Professor of Bioinformatics and Biostatistics at the University of Thessaly Pantelis Bagkos, Takis Panagiotopoulos, Professor of Public Health and member of the Scientific Committee of the Ministry of Health for the pandemic, and Demosthenes Sarigiannis, Professor of Environmental Engineering at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki.