"This is a warning - if necessary, we will tighten the measures" VIDEO
Crisis Staff is holding a press conference at which the new measures that will be valid during the weekend were explained in more detail.
Source: B92
The Minister of Labor, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs of Serbia, Darija Kisić Tepavčević, said that it was clear why the new measures were adopted.
“We’re all fed up with this virus and everything,” she said.
As she mentioned, the new measures refer only to working hours. She said that there will be criticism why something works until 2 p.m. or 4 p.m., and that the virus is transmitted 24 hours a day.
“The virus's just waiting for our weakness,” she noted. She added that most of the infected are between the ages of 20 and 60, which means that it is the working age population.
Speaking about vaccination, she said that these are encouraging numbers, but that it takes time to create immunity.
The total number of people who have been vaccinated with at least one dose is more than 886.000, said Darija Kisić Tepavčević.
"It's good that there is a great response to vaccination, that vaccines are available to us and we can even choose - it is the case nowhere in the world. But we must not compromise vaccination with our nonchalant behavior," she said.
She mentioned that we all have to control our behavior, and it is only up to us to break the chain of transmission of the virus. She noted that there was no talk of complete lockdown, but of stricter compliance with the measures.
"This shortening is a kind of warning and support to health workers that we really care and that the risk of infection is high," she said. "We are the key to solving the problem. Everyone is responsible for their own behavior and it is certain that everyone takes care of their own health," Darija Kisić Tepavčević said.
She stated that the situation in the gerontology centers is good, and that those who received both doses of vaccines, and more than two weeks have passed since the vaccination, are allowed to have a visit, but in strictly controlled conditions. As she stated, 11.000 users were vaccinated, at least with one dose out of a total of 17.000 users, and that is a significant number.
She revealed what percentage of the immune system is needed to create a "barrier to further spread of the infection": "There were contradictory statements. When we talk about collective immunity, it is measured by the percentage of immune in the population. The degree of collective immunity, which is sufficient to prevent the spread of the disease, is assumed to be around 70 percent," Darija Kisic Tepavcevic concluded.
"This is no surprise"
Infectious disease specialist Mijomir Pelemis pointed out that many who suffer from other diseases cannot see a doctor because the health system is busy due to the coronavirus.
"I am worried about the number of people who die every day and how many patients are in intensive care," he said. Pelemis said that there are many more patients in intensive care units and all of them are endangered, and that these are not real numbers. "Tonight, more than 90 patients were examined at the Infectious Diseases Clinic, 70 were admitted, and 30 percent of them are seriously ill," he said. Pelemis said the new data showed that the measures were not being respected.
"We have to say exactly what is happening in our country, it seems we still have people who do not believe in this virus until they get sick," he said.
According to him, he is an optimist, but he is not in favor of acquiring collective immunity as soon as possible and at any cost.
"I am in favor of getting as few victims as possible. I am in favor of getting more vaccinated, but in order to get vaccinated, we have to be healthy," he said. He said a lot of people took off their masks after the first dose of the vaccine.
"It is clear that no vaccine protects 100 percent. However, there is no better medicine in the history of medicine than a vaccine. Some are skeptical and make various stories. So, medicine has progressed, the whole world has come together to stop this evil”, he said.
The results of the measures could be seen in three to 5 days when we close everything, said Pelemis.
"Looking at how we behave, this is no surprise. Measures are not respected, so the number of patients is increasing. This is a big concern," he said.
He added that we have no data on new strains of the virus, except for the British one. "Whatever strain of the virus appears, we don't care, the protection is exactly the same, prevention measures do not change," he said. He said that the new session of the Crisis Staff is scheduled for Monday, March 1, and that the data will be monitored.
"If there is a need, the measures will be tightened, it will be even more rigorous," he said. According to the latest daily bulletin, 3.339 newly infected people were registered in Serbia, and 16 people died. It should be reminded that the Crisis Staff held a session today at which new measures were adopted, which primarily concern the work of catering facilities.
As confirmed for B92.net, they will work until 2 p.m., during the weekend.
