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Last week, the government, initially hinting at the possibility of local quarantine, finally decided to extend the universal quarantine until the end of April, as well as lift movement restrictions for just over a week.
Long lines of cars stretched from Vilnius on Friday night and Saturday. Not much shorter recorded and to the churches on Palm Sunday. Also at the weekend, the center of the capital and the old town were flooded with crowds of residents of the city, most without masks.
However, the number of Covid-19 cases in Lithuania has increased rapidly in recent weeks. If a couple of weeks ago the number of new cases of Covid-19 was 100,000. The population in Lithuania has been reduced to almost 200 cases in 14 days, currently this indicator reaches 311.2 cases.
Quarantine extended too long
Bernaras Ivanov, associate professor of political science at Vytautas Magnus University, qualifies the situation when the government seems unable to lift the quarantine and the population is angry about it and no longer adheres to the restrictions. Yet right here, he claims that public hostility to the restrictions is now noticeable only in Lithuania.
“And in Germany, the Chancellor’s apologies for Easter prove it all well, and in Poland no one observes the quarantine,” said B. Ivanov on tv3.lt.
He is also supported by Arijus Katauskas, a public relations specialist. In their eyes, Lithuania is not exceptional in this regard. However, A. Katauskas also adds that neither the past nor this Government had proven tools to handle the pandemic.
“The tasks of this Government are to control things that until now have not been controlled. We don’t have any tool that has already been tested in our society, that should work to such an extent and in a problem, ”A. Katauskas told tv3.lt.
And it is precisely because it operates with unproven methods that governments are wrong, says the specialist.
“Consequently, you have to improvise, you have to take steps that may be unforeseen, that may have happened here, now, but you have to do them and learn from mistakes,” said A. Katauskas.
The government’s first mistake, led by both Saulius Skvernelis and I. Šimonytė, was to extend the quarantine, in the hope that it would help solve all the problems, believes B. Ivanov.
Experts say the quarantine lasts two months at best. This is a last resort. And with us, as you see, there is a provision that this is almost the only means of fighting a pandemic. When there are many others that should be applied, but are not applied, because it requires effort, the competence of politicians ”, pointed out B. Ivanov.
According to the political scientist, it would be more useful if the government had used complex measures to manage the quarantine, as Sweden, Taiwan and Japan have done.
“And it goes without saying that there were no restrictions. In Sweden itself, cinemas have closed so far. It is simply that the state can communicate with the public in a way that the public listens and the public behaves responsibly. Because when society shows trust in people, people react differently, “added B. Ivanov.
Why are people angry?
Not only the prolonged quarantine, but also the failed communication and double standards applied by politicians enrage people, Ivanov believes. As an example, he cites President Gitan Nauseda’s visit to Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky in mid-March.
“It just came to our knowledge then. For example, that unfortunate visit of the president to Ukraine, where he went, regretted, ate bread, without distances, without masks,” recalled the political scientist. Furthermore, in his eyes, the governments of S. Skvernelis and I. Šimonytė communicated with the people of Lithuania as children, using strict restrictions, but not trusting people.
“They communicate with them as if they were incomprehensible three-year-olds, they don’t know, they don’t understand, they need the police to determine everything. And he finally got into a corner, “said B. Ivanov.
And according to A. Katauskas, while the Government of S. Skvernelis continued to work on the management of the pandemic, even then the members of the Cabinet of Ministers could not bring the people down, be close and say they are fighting. the virus together.
“Just look around us and we will find people who say it is beautiful, we are overloaded with work. And this is not a kind of resistance to the government’s decisions, only the general fatigue is obviously such that it makes people want to sabotage the things that are a little bit, “said A. Katauskas.
Suggest to politicians to be active not only Facebook
There is no unequivocal answer to the question of what the Government of I. Šimonytė should do differently to manage the third wave of Covid-19 in Lithuania. First of all, as Ivanov suggests, those in power should apologize not only for their own mistakes, but also for the mistakes made by the previous government.
“It takes a lot of effort to regain confidence. You have to stop, apologize, look back and try to change something. Because otherwise, I think, given the situation in the coalition itself, it is super unstable, the coalition itself can collapse and Šimonytė it will remain powerless. Because, seeing Skvernel’s consolidation efforts on the next flank, it understands that it smells of change, “said B. Ivanov.
At that time, A. Katauskas says that there is a lack of unity of politicians, coordination of communication messages, as well as activity not only Facebook.
“I miss the activity, the real activity, no feisbukinio activity. <...> For example, when it comes to the MAMA awards scandal, we see separate communication from individual politicians in high office. But that’s how it is? Perhaps after taking certain actions and evaluating that it has no effect, I should learn and decide to do it differently, “suggested the public relations specialist.
He says that he realizes that the government is slowly closing its eyes against the rebellious type of population. However, according to A. Katauskas, this is the worst possible solution. The most important thing the government can do is try to change its strategy of expression.
“In my opinion, without giving up my ministries, from other positions and without initiating human communication, I will achieve nothing. People no longer pay attention to prohibitions, they do not listen to words. Therefore, it is necessary to change the words, the form of speech, the channels of speech. Now we need people to talk to who the public trusts.
You should keep talking in this place even when it seems like no one is listening. Ask, talk, get the media involved, get everyone involved as much as possible. No need for major campaigns. Now no one will be able to do them. You just shouldn’t be afraid to speak up when you’re criticized, “emphasized A. Katauskas.
The movement restriction in Lithuania is valid until April 6 at 24:00, quarantine, also until the end of April.
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