Prime Minister: “We never said we are handling the situation fantastically”

S. Skvernelis shared his thoughts on managing COVID-19 on Facebook on Friday. He assured that the Cabinet under his leadership is preparing for the second wave of the coronavirus.

“We are approaching 1,000 people a day. The situation is serious and requires serious decisions. That is what we do. Those who say that this government was not going to know should know that if we were not prepared, we would count those infected today not by hundreds, but perhaps even by the tens of thousands, ”the Prime Minister wrote.

If we were not prepared, we would count those infected today not by the hundreds, but perhaps even by the tens of thousands.

Only after the Seimas elections, Gabrielius Landsbergis, the leader of the Conservatives who won them, turned to Agnė Širinskienė, the representative of the governors who visited the national broadcaster LRT Forum, with a request that the Minister of Health , Aurelijus Veryga, transferred the information available on COVID-19 to the new government.

“If possible, I would suggest to future coalition colleagues, indeed everyone, to invite the minister to tell him about the situation in the most transparent way possible. So that we know where we are, where we come from,” Landsbergis said .

Sure you were getting ready

For his part, A. Veryga asked the parties that make up the new government to “decide as soon as possible” on the new Minister of Health and promised his help to find out about the situation.

Conservative prime minister candidate Ingrida Šimonytė saw this as A.Veryga’s attempt to evade responsibility.

This episode did not pass through the eyes of S. Skvernel. He explained that “the winning forces continue to criticize former competitors for inertia” and that they “plunge into the shadows” when they are invited to sit down and learn the situation.

“This is probably the new craze of that stronger Lithuania. However, I cannot agree with this tactic, because we are talking about managing COVID-19, seeking to protect and save as many people as possible.

Perhaps those who have said and continue to say that the Lithuanian government is performing poorly would like to take an interest in the situation in Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, the Netherlands, the Czech Republic and especially in neighboring Poland?

The number of infected people in these countries is ten or more times higher than we have in Lithuania. The governments of these states apparently did nothing and were not going to do anything either? No more for us?

Everyone was getting ready. He applied different methodologies and tools, but still all of them. Unfortunately, the situation is also getting worse everywhere: both with us and with them. It determines many factors, but they do not change the essence, “continued S. Skvernelis.

The prime minister’s sarcasm about the attitude of the rulers

The Prime Minister assured that the pandemic and its management was never a public relations campaign for the Government under his leadership, and that decisions “are made, have been made and will be made by analyzing available data, monitoring trends, listening to recommendations. and advice from the experts. “

“Already on March 26. The medical working group formed in 2006 brought together 22 Lithuanian scientists and doctors from Vilnius University, Lithuanian University of Health Sciences, Cambridge University, Santara Clinics and Kaunas Clinics They analyze, are interested in global practice, work, provide proposals and solutions, which are implemented by the Ministry of Health, hospitals and other institutions ”, said S. Skvernelis.

And listening to some politicians on the couch gives the impression that we are making decisions “from the lamp” … “, he added.

The Prime Minister recalled that during the transition period A.Veryga publicly offered to hand over the works to the future government and allow the current situation and available resources to be presented in as much detail as possible.

“Because we have nothing to hide,” Skvernel emphasized, discussing the minister’s response to the invitation.

“What response did you get? Public reflections on the fact that here the Minister is trying to transfer responsibilities!

That is the decision and choice of the future. Apparently, this also strengthens Lithuania.

Unfortunately, the new SAM minister certainly will not have 100 days of “criticism-free”.

I’ll just remind you of one thing: we all understand that the new SAM minister will sadly not have 100 days of “freedom of criticism,” Skvernelis added.

“Talk to whoever wants to talk”

He said the cabinet he headed had never boasted of excellent management of the COVID-19 crisis and listed how it was going.

“We have never said that we handle the situation in a fantastic way. We just said that we try to control it day and night.

Every morning, SAM News Service announces more than just a growing number of infected people. A board with a wide range of cuts is sent to the entire medium.

COVID-19 Steering Committee meetings are held every Monday (more often if needed) to which doctors, mayors, scientists, and others are invited. Groups of doctors, municipalities and communication specialists have been formed, who exchange information periodically.

The time has come to save lives again. Not through statements, but through actual actions.

We talk to whoever wants to talk. Only some use it to accuse the government of secrecy, others to gather information for criticism and a third (thanks again to the Strong Together initiative and others who have done a heroic job in the fight against the coronavirus) to help.

The time has come to save lives again. Not by statements, but by actual actions “, concluded S. Skvernelis in his post on Facebook.

He used to be proud of how he handled the first wave

S. Skvernelis and other rulers repeatedly emphasized that Lithuania managed to control the first stage of the coronavirus and overcome its consequences, probably the best in Europe.

Recently, Lithuania and many other countries have experienced a rapid increase in the number of coronavirus cases, as a result of which countries are introducing various restrictions on social life. There are doubts that the Lithuanian government, considering that the Seimas elections are underway, did not impose stricter restrictions too late.

Another record number of new coronavirus cases was confirmed in Lithuania on Wednesday: 950 and six people died.