Šimonytė: Quarantine changes likely next week

I. Šimonytė posted the post on Facebook commenting on the government meeting, where it was decided not to consider easing quarantine requirements for now.

This decision received controversial assessments, since on Monday after the meeting of the Government Emergency Commission, Health Minister Arūnas Dulkys announced that on Wednesday a proposal would be presented to allow non-essential goods stores with independent entrance, as well as hairdressers and beauty products. salons.

This issue was not on the agenda after the experts summoned by the Government objected. According to I. Šimonytė, the comments of the experts should be discussed and evaluated.

“I regret that the public debate, which is not lacking in the activities of this Government, has been taken by someone because of the decisions that have been taken, which the Government has not yet taken. I have no doubt that an agreement on the principle of quarantine release will be agreed on Monday and that outstanding questions about the specific stages and conditions for the opening of trade and non-food services will be resolved. It is very important that children go back to school as soon as possible, an understandable desire to start a normal business, but more importantly not yo-yo traps, ”wrote I. Šimonytė.

“Will there be any changes next week and the quarantine order itself? Chances are, if an agreed quarantine release plan allows it, our movement up the mountain of cases will only take root. No one will need to ‘demand’ , ‘flow’, ‘cut’ or ‘retaliate’, because I’m sure we’ll just agree on a rational solution. And tonight I apologize for the expectations that shouldn’t have been raised. I think it’s even nicer to apologize for this than for decisions to be reversed, ”said the Prime Minister.

According to the Head of Government, although the epidemiological situation in Lithuania is improving, the situation remains fragile.

“Just a week ago, one of the most important indicators of the epidemiological situation, from which we classify the situation in one scenario or another, fell below 500 cases / 100,000. population in 14 days. This is good, as the indicator continues to decline, but it is necessary to see a more complete picture; for example, in Vilnius city municipality, the 500 limit situation is still separated by 0.21 cases, and the overall result is more affected. by the situation in the rest of Lithuania.

So, although some other indicators confirm the improvement trends, the situation remains fragile: up to those 500 cases from a level even lower than the one we are today in the opposite phase of the cycle, we have grown in two days.

Many EU countries have recently tightened their quarantine requirements again. There were some who did very well, but the mutation in the virus sent those achievements to ruin. Not being at the crossroads of international traffic, Lithuania has this privilege, but it cannot fully protect itself.

Probably, the joy of the achieved scenario C may have led to bold suggestions that one or the other can be published now. We have agreed that, on the basis of the four scenarios proposed by the experts, we will publish a public document setting out the assumptions to change one or another restriction.

According to that document, the government would take concrete decisions in the future as the situation changes. A draft of this document was discussed by the WEU and presented to the Expert Group, which concluded its deliberations last night and wrote its comments.

Does the fact that the Experts have written comments that contradict one idea or another mean that the Government cannot make decisions? No, it doesn’t mean. Such situations have already existed. For example, at the beginning of the tightening of the quarantine, it was proposed to close the kindergartens, which we did not do, among other things, for reasons of mental health of the parents. Although it is fairly reliable to bet that with that decision, the situation in the new disease statistics would probably be better today. A large number of experts did not support the opening of ski resorts either.

However, any such disagreement is not just the basis of a “political decision” that the government can certainly make. The government must accept that it makes that decision and takes responsibility for its consequences. Finally, commentators who spend their time evaluating the work of ministers are entitled to elementary decency, that is, to the belief that the comments have at least been read, discussed, and evaluated in one way or another.

What’s next Next Monday, he expected the updated scheme, where the comments of the experts were acceptable after the improvements, where there were no clear alternatives for the government to decide.

It is agreed that on Monday we will organize a government meeting for this purpose, especially if the Ministry of Economy and Innovation develops a concept of support measures that would motivate small and medium-sized companies to test themselves and their employees. At the same time, it may be possible to develop an algorithm for further liberalization of activities for those municipalities where the situation is good and does not deteriorate, that is to say, which are approaching scenario B, ”wrote I. Šimonytė on Facebook.

According to data from the Department of Statistics, on Wednesday, the two-week morbidity of COVID-19 in Lithuania was 100,000. the population was 414.9.