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“We do not plan to make hasty decisions. We will evaluate both the content and the validity of the letter to assess whether the allegations made against the entertainment venues are justified. If justified, then there should be data on how many people were infected on the spot. (…)
Now I am looking at a cafe where people are sitting outside and inside. Sits inside with masks, who communicates, who keeps safe distances. Is the virus spreading there? Should it be closed? Let’s be right, that is not why the virus is spreading. All of this must be carefully analyzed and actions taken in a measured manner, “Mr. Poderski told Delfi.
The head of the Municipal Emergency Commission is convinced that the current moment is not the time to make drastic decisions that would shut down the entire sector.
“If there is a problem with several cafes or several restaurants, several nightclubs, it is possible to speak with their administrators, managers, discussing the improved regime of security measures. But should cafes that have followed the rules be restricted? There is no reason for that, “said P. Poderskis.
See the point of arguing with market participants
Delfi recalls that many European cities have already decided to limit the opening hours of cafes. These include Paris, Brussels, Berlin. These restrictions apply throughout the Czech Republic and the Netherlands. This is due to the fact that at night people consume more alcohol, relax and do not follow security measures.
Such arguments do not seem to be enough for the head of the Vilnius City Commission for Emergency Situations.
“It’s not that the cafes and working hours themselves don’t limit you because of those customer flows that aren’t really the biggest this season. I think this topic should be discussed both with the market itself and in an attempt to assess what is really working, rather than just cutting down on working hours and thinking that this will automatically help. Perhaps for many it is unexpected news, but there are people who know how to have fun responsibly, maintain social distance and not drink too much, ”said P. Poderskis.
It is said that we need to adapt to a new reality
In a similar position, the representative of the municipal administration of the capital assumes the proposal to consider restricting various leisure activities.
“As far as I know the cases, and as far as I have discussed them, it is the group trainings that are receiving some attention. But it seems to me that we have to learn little by little to live in an environment where there is a virus. We have to manage it.
For example, an employee of the Presidency is infected, do we close the Presidency? Do we allow them to work from home? Do we allow them to work safely? We have to do everything wisely, “said P. Poderskis.
The head of the Municipal Commission for Emergency Situations promised that recommendations and communication will be strengthened in Vilnius.
“Everybody needs to be reminded of the safeguards and the things we really know, but we reacted with a bit of negligence. Masks, timely hand washing, ban on touching the face – these are the basics, but they should only be applied. We are all tired of both the limitations of a pandemic and the additional responsibilities that accompany it, in which we must take special care of our health. But it is necessary to do that and acquire new habits, “said P. Poderskis.
NVSC proposes to Vilnius to introduce measures to limit the spread of infection
The National Public Health Center (NVSC), taking into account the unfavorable epidemiological situation due to the spread of the coronavirus infection (COVID-19) in Vilnius, asks the municipality to take measures to improve the management of this infection.
NVSC in Vilnius recommends temporarily restricting active leisure activities indoors, during which the use of respiratory protective equipment, such as group sports training, dance and singing studies, cannot be guaranteed, and shortening the working hours of the bars, according to a press release.
According to Rolanda Lingienė, head of the Vilnius department at NVSC, the trends in recent days are forcing us to take action to stop the infection. Therefore, the temporary abandonment of those activities that currently present a greater epidemiological risk is proposed.
“The proposed measures are really soft, but we believe that they should be applied here and now so that further restrictions are not needed later. And they are proposed taking into account the statistics and figures available, as well as the epidemiological links between the identified cases. We registered outbreaks related to sports clubs, dance studios, hockey, which have spread to institutions, companies, organizations, schools. We have cases related to visits to bars, where those cases are like a spark that ignites outbreaks in a work or educational environment. In our opinion, we simply cannot afford that ‘luxury’ right now, “says R. Lingienė.
The NVSC had issued general recommendations to providers of such services only after consulting with public health professionals and taking maximum measures to prevent infection control. If this cannot be guaranteed, discontinue services. However, this did not produce the desired results: the cases in question continue to be recorded. Also, for example, when applying to one of the dance studios with a request for temporary suspension, the dance studio did not take such recommendations into account.
NVSC also reports that although the total COVID-19 morbidity rate in Vilnius is 100,000. population, there have been 64.6 cases in the last 14 days, but the situation is changing significantly.
As of noon today, the Vilnius Department of the NVSC has already received 98 positive test results for coronavirus infection.
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