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The government is expected to decide the extension … of the lockdown, probably until Christmas, since it estimates that the lifting of the measures should be done gradually and in such a way that there are no setbacks with the coronavirus pandemic.
The reduction of cases in the last 24 hours may generate a modest optimism, but the scientific staff draws attention, signaling to the government that the situation remains very critical.
Although as it had been leaked in the previous days within the week, the announcements of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis for the gradual lifting of the measures were expected, as everything shows, the decisions are postponed for the next few days with the scenarios of a new extension. of the confinement in at least a week. December 14, not only to gain ground but also to be safely considered.
The extension of the confinement was shown from Saturday by the Prime Minister of Thessaloniki, noting that “we will have a different Christmas this year. Much, much more limited, with our families, with the people we love, maybe with another family. And so we have to do it in this very special 2020, which held many surprises in store for us ”.
In the same context, addressing the members of the Council of Ministers, the Prime Minister made recommendations to the ministers not to mention dates to lift the closure, emphasizing in the clearest way that “we are far from making final decisions.”
“The situation is improving.” Now we have, in addition to the reduction in cases, the first indications that the pressure on the National Health System in northern Greece is beginning to gradually decrease, “said the prime minister, avoiding talking about lift measures but “careful relaxation”. ‘
In the decisions that we have to make, taking into account the suggestions of the experts, we must be careful. Our path may seem slower, but it will be safer and safer. And above all, it must be a smooth road ”.
Mr. Mitsotakis pointed out that the decisions made by the government must take into account the suggestions of the experts. “Let me emphasize once again that the best support of all of us in the great fight that our health workers are giving, especially in northern Greece, is to do the obvious, to follow with absolute dedication to listen to the orders of the experts” he characteristically said.
However, despite acknowledging that citizens are tired of prolonged restrictive measures, scientists emphasize in every tone that an extension of the confinement will be necessary in addition to the one announced until December 7, since there is fear of a greater dispersion. virus and new pressure on hospitals and ICUs if stores, schools and restaurants open immediately.
Experts are now speaking clearly about the lockdown and during the holidays, as any relaxation of the measures will set the country back.
Today at 2.30 p.m. there is a meeting on a series of issues related to quarantine and at the end of the week decisions will be made for the schools, according to the competent undersecretary, Sofia Zacharaki.
However, with today’s data, an extension of the closure until December 14 seems possible, so it will be difficult to open schools for a week and then close at Christmas.
Restaurants, bars and restaurants are unlikely or impossible to open, so there is no overcrowding during the holidays, while some of the retail will open conditionally, possibly in mid-December.
What the experts say
Your statement is indicative Professor of Environmental Engineering at AUTh Demosthenes Sarigiannis who suggests closure and during the holidays, so that the country opens once and for all together with the vaccine.
Speaking to Alpha 98.9, Mr. Sarigianis said that we need to reach the needs of intubation beds at 60%, at the moment we are at 85%, so that in the event of an outbreak we are ready. To get to 60%, we have to go on December 21, maybe a little later. So when the opening will take place depends on the criteria that everyone establishes. If we want to see a resurgence after the end of January, when the vaccine is included in the equation, then we must maintain the lockdown during the holidays. We try to see based on the information we have about the vaccination program, so that we take it into account and have a real prediction for the opening ”.
We cannot stop the second wave of the pandemic, since when a measure is lifted, we open a door for a further spread of the virus, he said and EKPA Professor of Social and Preventive Medicine Giannis Tountas
“The second wave will be appeased with the existing measures.” The mobility that is allowed this time and the one that will increase at Christmas, will feed the second wave and will not allow it to bend, “he said characteristically speaking to MEGA.
“We are going to look at these two crucial and difficult data curves.” But they will gradually decrease. “
The president of the Panhellenic Medical Association, Athanasios Exadaktylos, stressed that the system is on a razor’s edge and stressed that if we make a hasty decision to lift the quarantine we can experience a relapse much worse than the current one. As he characteristically said “Early relaxation will increase the number of people who will need ICU hospitalization and treatment».
Speaking to MEGA this morning, Manolis Dermitzakis stressed that the next few days are extremely critical. “The next 10 days are a waiting period. The first days are always with a slower rate of reduction, while as the days go by in the confinement, this rate accelerates,” said Mr. Dermitzakis.
Speaking about the opening of catering and retail, Mr. Dermitzakis also argued that this can only be done if strict measures are put in place, as there is a risk of increased transmission capacity. “If the reduction of cases accelerates around December 15 or before, we can be around 500 cases or less.” If we are there there is no reason not to open stores, “he said.
Retail opening is a big problem PiThe stores could open, given that current epidemiological data do not allow the opening of shopping centers and on the other hand, nobody wants to see images with consumers standing without distances in the “queue”, outside the smaller stores. One of the scenarios that is gaining ground is to open in 14 small stores and possibly in 21 the largest (commercial and Malls).
In terms of focus, things are even more complicated. In any case, clubs and discos will not be opened as this would be disastrous at this stage. For the restaurant there was a discussion about the operation only of restaurants and cafes, however this contradicts the refusal of the businessmen to consider opening and closing it catastrophic. However, if they open restaurants and cafes, they will most likely do so under current conditions, that is, until 8:30 p.m., after which a curfew is applied and with restrictions on the number of people, respecting all security measures (masks and distances).
The situation in northern Greece worsens
Thessaloniki is still in “red”, but also the other laws of northern Greece, such as Drama, Serres and Pieria, with the spread of the coronavirus being high and with health units above their limits, while several health professionals they are also sick.
In fact, the mayor of Thessaloniki, K. Zervas, said that the blockade should not be lifted if the epidemiological data do not allow it.
As he said, he estimates that primary schools in the way they operate in our country contribute to the epidemiological burden.
“If we do not reach a certain level to be sure that we will not have a resurgence in December in our city and in our region, we should not talk about dates. It is something tremendously scary, we may have escaped the great evil of what the numbers show at the moment, but it is really very scary to go back to the bad numbers even during the Christmas holidays ”, Mr. Zervas stressed. 
Puzzles with schools
At the end of the week and if epidemiological data is evaluated, decisions are forwarded to the schools. This was also highlighted by the Deputy Minister of Education, Sofia Zacharaki.
However, according to Ms Papaevangelou, Professor of Pediatrics-Infectious Diseases at EKPA and member of the committee of the Ministry of Health, Mr Papaevangelou, obviously some activities should be opened, but it has not been decided yet, since these days the Committee It will meet daily to get to the “map” of the opening. “By midweek the meaning of the map will have been created, that is, what will open and when and at the end of the week the relevant decisions will be made,” he said.
He pointed out that the Primary Schools must be opened, but at this stage the Commission is processing the data of the schools to see the real cases that were registered in them before they closed.
OLME President Theodoros Tsouchlos suggested that schools open in January, with the possibility of taking exams.
Tsouchlos said that December should be the month in which all the problems facing distance education will be discussed and the necessary solutions found.
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