A broad coalition in the Seimas against non-vaccinators: costs and restrictions will increase

As the number of COVID-19 cases increases and the number of patients with the disease in hospitals is likely to return to quarantine, the interviews Delphi confirmed by Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė.

Not vaccinated: restrictions and paid tests

According to her, without such a regime, it would not be possible, for example, to introduce the mandatory use of masks indoors.

But the blanket restrictions, according to the prime minister, are meant to target only those who have not been vaccinated against COVID-19.

The Minister of Health, Arūnas Dulkys, called the quarantine “quarantine of the unvaccinated.”

Those who do not want to be vaccinated but want to take advantage of the opportunity passport, such as attending events, will have to pay for the COVID-19 tests themselves.

Such a decision can be made in the near future.

“Already, one of the decisions that will definitely be made is that the tests will be paid to those people who have the opportunity to be vaccinated and do not get vaccinated,” said I. Šimonyt aseg in the interview.

Those who cannot get vaccinated shouldn’t have to pay for testing.

Representatives of the ruling factions express their support for the Government’s plans, both due to the quarantine nature and the obligation to pay for COVID-19 tests.

“It is very important that those who have been vaccinated can do relatively riskier activities: larger mass gatherings, events, sports clubs and other activities that have been more restricted.” 15 minutes commented Ieva Pakarklytė, the senior of the Seimas Freedom Faction.

In general, he said, it should no longer be a matter of quarantine, but of promoting vaccination.

Perhaps the saying that testing should be paid for by people also worked.

“Those numbers have increased over the last week, and maybe the saying that people should be paid for testing has worked,” the politician said.

He said he supported the proposal to carry out tax tests when applying for a passport of opportunity.

But, I.Pakarklytė is convinced, this should not be valid for those who cannot get vaccinated for health reasons.

When asked how to screen these people, the politician assured that it was a technical question.

“After all, in e-health it is possible to mark those things, it is a technical question,” said the senior from Freedom Group.

Opposes restrictions on movement between municipalities

According to Eugenijus Gentvilas, the largest of the Liberal Movement faction, quarantine could be introduced in Lithuania when necessary, but not as strict as in winter.

I really don’t think the quarantine is as strict as it was in the winter.

“I really don’t think the quarantine is as strict as it was in the winter, because 47 percent of people have at least the first vaccination, so the risks are reduced,” 15 minutes commented.

According to the politician, the introduction of quarantine could limit the meeting both at events and at points of sale or services, returning to the mandatory use of masks.

But it is not really necessary to restrict movement between municipalities again.

“I really don’t see the need to ban movement between municipalities, which was in the winter,” said E. Gentvilas.

He believes that other restrictions could apply to differentiate between vaccinated and unvaccinated:

“Yes, someone will start shouting about human rights. But I have rights like that, I am vaccinated and I want to be safer so that the people around me also get vaccinated.”

“If you have not been vaccinated, you have an alternative: either pay for the test or receive a free vaccine. Let someone meet,” added a member of Seimas.

You don’t understand what A. Dulkys meant

Aušrinė Norkienė, the largest of the opposition Lithuanian Farmers and Greens Union faction, also agreed that the restrictions should be differentiated according to whether or not people were vaccinated.

“It should only be done in a non-strict tone,” he said.

It is true that the politician said that he did not understand what Minister A. Dulkys was referring to when he spoke of “quarantine of the unvaccinated”:

“We really don’t understand what he’s talking about, how he could classify people.”

A. Norkienė stated that he also supports the fact that students are paying for it.

I think it makes sense to try it and pay for it.

“I don’t see anything wrong. I think it makes sense to try and pay for it,” he said.

He believes that the company would not withstand another quarantine

Jonas Pinskus, the largest of the Lithuanian opposition faction, said he could not say whether it would be fair to impose taxes on tests for those who had not been vaccinated, but, according to him, it would not be appropriate to differentiate the restrictions.

“I think it would be a violation of human rights. Undoubtedly, vaccination should be promoted in other ways, such as saying that from November 1, vaccines and treatment will be paid for. Maybe. [žmonės] think, ”he suggested.

J. Pinskus stated that he was against strict restrictions and quarantine.

I would not be very supportive of the introduction of quarantine.

“I would not support the introduction of quarantine. It is better to work for those who have not been vaccinated to get vaccinated. A third quarantine would completely defeat small entrepreneurs.” 15 minutes commented on politics.

He criticized the Government for not making clear what awaited the population in the face of the deterioration of the situation with COVID-19:

“It just came to our knowledge then. Indecision, chaos, nervousness are transmitted to all people, to businesses.”

Give more power to self-government

Algirdas Sysas, the largest of the opposition faction of the Lithuanian Social Democratic Party, expressed support for both the proposal to differentiate restrictions and plans to tax tests for those who do not get vaccinated.

I would say that the burden should not fall on all taxpayers, but on someone who thinks the earth is flat, that vaccines are poison.

“I would say that the burden should not fall on all taxpayers, but on someone who thinks that the earth is flat, that vaccines are poisonous and the virus is good. Let’s pay for it ” 15 minutes commented.

In the general introduction of quarantine, the politician believes that the different epidemiological situations in municipalities should be taken into account, which can decide for themselves the rigor of quarantine.

“Like now: five municipalities are red, others are green, yellow, and if we apply the same restrictions to all of them, it is as if we do not trust the people we have chosen. I would suggest taking into account the proposals of self-government, and that regulation should not be centralized, ”said the member of Seimas.

The government sees the plans as coercion

Andrius Mazuronis, a spokesman for the opposition Labor Party, welcomed plans to tax unvaccinated people when they wanted to visit entertainment venues.

“I agree that people could and should have access for their own money, not for public money. I think this step is a good one,” the politician told Knowledge Radio on Friday.

But he expressed his opposition to the proposal to differentiate restrictions. It is said that people will not be forced to get vaccinated by indirect coercion.

“When coercive actions are introduced, or not even initiated, but the threat of coercive actions is introduced, they give the exact opposite result,” said A. Mazuronis.

When threats of coercion begin, they produce exactly the opposite result.

He called for people to get vaccinated in a different way: “through imagination”, positive examples, positive publicity.

To date, 47.8% have vaccinated at least one dose of the COVID-19 vaccine in Lithuania. population, both – 43 percent.