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The heavy epidemiological burden that exists in the country, as well as the continuous pressure on the National Health System with the number of intubated patients that remain at high levels, will not leave indifferent to this year’s festivities. Christmas and New Years, which will not remind you of anything from previous years.
Governments around the world are looking for the golden section to prevent the pandemic from spreading further, but also to give citizens the opportunity to celebrate with family and friends.
In Greece, a crash test was attempted on how to get through the Christmas season with a very moderate lifting of restrictions, as it was expected that there would be a flattening of the epidemiological curve.
The first step towards the gradual relaxation of the confinement was taken with the reopening of the seasonal stores, followed by the opening of hairdressers and shops with the click away method. So far everything is going well in terms of its operation, however the analysis of the data for the moment does not allow any additional relaxation movement.
On the one hand, experts, seeing the slow decline in intubations and deaths, do not give the green light to such a possibility, and on the other hand, the government wants to avoid a third wave of pandemics in any case and maintain the collection of five (up to today) lockdown weeks.
New Year. 9 people and curfew
For this reason, the Government spokesman, Stelios Petsas, stopped today the scenarios that were circulating in the last hours and wanted to extend the traffic hours.
When informing political authors, was categorical in saying that during the holidays, and especially at Christmas and New Years, the traffic ban that is in force today, that is, from 10 p.m. to 5 p.m., will be in force as part of the measures to limit its spread of coronavirus.
As he characteristically said, “holidays should not be an occasion for synchronicity,” embracing the intense concern of infectious disease specialists.
In fact, he announced a meeting limit of 9 people in the houses. In any case, it is not allowed to meet in houses of more than 9 people from two families, ”he stressed.
Explaining the government’s decision, he said that “the epidemiological burden in our country continues to be heavy,” noting that from the beginning the government has made the protection of public health and human life a first priority.
“With this in mind, it was decided to continue until January 7 the restrictive measures applied in the context of the confinement so that all citizens who have faith in our strength can safely spend these different holidays.”
What does this mean
This, then, practically means that we should have a New Year’s Eve party either at noon or at night until 22:00 and always in compositions of 9 people or two families.
Otherwise, if someone moves home and crosses the 10pm limit, they should… spend the night where they will celebrate.
Furthermore, with the data that currently exists,… New Year’s Eve away from home is essentially prohibited, since anyone who wants to travel at night must send an SMS justifying the specific move.
This is because SMS has a specific use, eg. Eg for transportation to work, sports, medical assistance to vulnerable groups, transportation to the hospital, etc. Someone who wants to go to celebrate somewhere far from home will not be able to do so.
Traveling outside the prefecture: what is allowed
At the same time, the ban on moving from prefecture to prefecture during the holiday period will be in full effect to exclude another passage of the virus.
However, there are some exceptions that will allow you to move from one county to another at Christmas.
In particular, as the government spokesperson has clarified, there will be some flexibility for cases of family reunification.
This applies, for example, to people who work in a different county than the one in which their family is located and will have to return. In these cases, the prescribed procedure (E1, E9) will be followed while a similar flexibility will be allowed for students who have been “trapped” before the confinement measures, in the city where they study and want to return to their family for the holidays. .
During the briefing on Friday by the Ministry of Health, the Deputy Minister of Civil Protection, Nikos Hardalias, had stated on the subject: “The issue of family reunification is clear. It is about the teacher who is on an island and wants to return to his wife and children. This is someone who works permanently in an area and wants to visit his wife and children.
Provision regarding children or families wishing to move with their parents can only be made if the address refers to permanent residence. So with the necessary tax document they can move there once. ”
Experts’ fears about the spread of the virus
In essence, the government has adopted the recommendations of scientists who are concerned about the spread of the disease in the event of mobility. In any case, however, what they are proposing even with the current regime is individual responsibility, calling for compliance with all current measures and the avoidance of unnecessary travel.
In the last few hours, one after another, infectious disease specialists have been talking about a setback in case the situation escapes with cases, intubations and deaths within the holidays, something they definitely want to avoid, given the already great pressure you have. accepted in recent months by the Health system.
At this year’s festivities, Infectious Diseases Professor and Committee member Nikos Sypsas stressed that we should not have “any visits from family and friends to protect ourselves.” Next year we will have a better Christmas ”.
He said, however, that it is important not to get to January and see the December results of dispersion.
Along the same lines, the professor of the Faculty of Microbiology, Alkiviadis Vatopoulos, spoke of a “closed” Christmas and New Year. “In order not to suffer like the summer, you have to be careful in the next season and avoid many contacts, even if it is Christmas,” he stressed.
As I said, it is good to keep the masks, the distances and all the necessary measures to be able to overcome this difficult period.
“The problem is not what the state will decide, the question is how we will protect ourselves,” he said, commenting on the decision on the 9-person limit on Christmas and New Year’s Eve this year.
We should not talk about New Year’s Eve, the model is of very closed families, with great care, with children who do not play with other children, a second family at the most ”said the professor of Genetics at the Faculty of Medicine of Geneva, Manolis Dermitzakis. , while the president of the Athens-Piraeus Hospital Physicians Association, Matina Pagoni, rang the “bell” for New Year’s Eve.
As Ms Pagoni characteristically said “when they have 100 deaths a day, we don’t care how we are going to have a good night.” The problem is how do we get started with vaccines? I also don’t think we can catch Easter. We expect that 55-60% of the population will receive the vaccine by the end of June. “After the summer we will be back to normal.”
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