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Aurelijus Veryga, a member of the opposition Lithuanian Green and Farmers Union (LVŽS) faction, who was also Minister of Health last year, assures that the government, which has not vaccinated the main age groups, but is thinking of getting vaccinated With the third dose, you are simply wasting your energy and resources.
At the time, Orinta Leiputė, a member of the Seimas of the opposition Lithuanian Social Democratic Party (LSDP), said that the actions of Health Minister Arūnas Dulkis lacked stability. Asked about what measures she would take if she took over as Minister of Health at this time, the politician stressed that she did not know how to answer all the questions, but promised that the decisions already made would not be changed as often.
“I cannot and do not want to pretend to be smarter than someone else, the current minister, but apparently health professionals and experts have said what measures should be taken for both masks and hygiene and other things. That is what should be followed. I wouldn’t say now that I would do it one way or another. It’s hard to say, but at least I would try not to be as distracted as the Minister is now, ”O. Leiputė told Eltai.
At the time, A. Veryga, Acting Shadow Health Minister, said that the rulers’ plans to return to the mandatory use of masks indoors were not a very inconvenient measure for the population, but at the same time they had a very impact. small in population. trying to control the growing number of COVID-19.
“The masks are one of the tools. In any case, there is no terrible factor or deterrent to the economy that is particularly restrictive on people’s lives. If there were so many problems, we could probably say that there are no problems,” said the farmer.
“But these measures are unlikely to solve the current situation. It would probably be naive to expect that after putting on the masks, everything will take over and be resolved,” he added.
A. Veryga: I would refuse a passport of opportunity
The parliamentarian of the LVŽS faction assured that if he now held the position of Minister of Health, he would renounce the requirements of the passport of opportunity. According to him, such measures encourage the general population not to trust vaccines.
“In fact, I would give up the passport of opportunity. We have also read scientific publications, in which scientists discuss how much these measures have worked and how much, nonetheless, they have rendered society hostile. One of the fears is that it is no longer related to the struggle, it is related to the growing negative attitude towards vaccination ”, explained A. Veryga.
According to the politician, it is necessary to take into account not only the short-term effect of the passport of opportunity, when some people are encouraged to choose the vaccine, but also the long-term consequences, which can lead to less public confidence in all vaccines.
“We must not overdo it, we must not overdo it, so that we do not cause widespread hostility to vaccines, because the fight will end, but other infections have not disappeared. It will be necessary to somehow convince society that it is a partner, not an enemy. Now the government seems to be doing everything that is appropriate for its brief imagination and does not think at all what will happen next, “said the peasant.
O. Leiputė is not completely convinced of the need for a passport. In his opinion, this measure should apply to all companies and institutions or not to all.
“You know, it’s hard for me to say. If it is applied, it must be clearly applied in the usual way, requiring uniform and ubiquitous use, and not of different size or activity in establishments, used or unused companies. The first thing is regulation. And if it continues the same as now, it is better not to apply it at all ”, reasoned the social democrat.
O. Leiputė: Perhaps washing hands and wearing masks would help control the pandemic
The parliamentarian also identified measures that she thought could help curb the growth of the pandemic. In their opinion, the strictest quarantine restrictions should only be introduced as a last resort.
“Perhaps teleworking can be applied wherever it can take place. Distance learning has done a lot of harm to children and, I would say, it could only be a last resort, ”said O. Leiputė, adding that the restrictions should only apply to those activities where the flow of people is extremely high.
“Of course, one could think of avoiding vacations, indoor events, or securing longer distances. These activities could be reviewed. Of course, it should be evaluated where it is transmitted most often, but if it is transmitted most often in families, then the family life will continue ”, he considered.
However, according to the parliamentarian of the LSDP group, the most important measures to handle a pandemic are related to personal hygiene.
“Hygiene, hand washing and the use of masks could be perhaps some of the tools to help control the pandemic,” said the Social Democrat, while assuring him that such measures were sufficient to control the spread of the virus.
“We have already learned to wash our hands more frequently, we must not lose hope. And if special measures were taken when checking passports to direct people to sanitize their hands, it could still contribute to that. We cannot invent and be different from the whole world ”, O. Leiputė is convinced.
The farmer proposes to introduce bonuses for vaccinated older adults
However, A. Veryga is convinced that the government has practically forgotten the main measure to control the pandemic: the vaccination of the older age groups. Politicians have no doubt that if a large enough proportion of the older population were vaccinated at this time, there would be no need to think about strict measures to manage the pandemic.
“If the older age group is vaccinated, it can expand (vaccinate the younger age groups – ELTA) if they have enough vaccines to give to someone else, to support countries that don’t have them.” But without vaccinating its main categories, today in Lithuania we are talking about booster vaccination with the third dose. It really wastes energy, it wastes resources, ”said the farmer.
A member of the shadow cabinet of the LVŽS emphasized that even when they were not in power, they proposed certain measures that, after the adoption of the pertinent legal regulations, would allow to encourage vaccination in the older age groups.
“An economic incentive for older people to get vaccinated. The financial payment of a lump sum has been shown to be justified, apparently it could also be at least partially justified in Lithuania. That would be acceptable. It would not be an economically unbearable measure, actually cheaper than closing hospitals and then losing people, ”said A. Veryga.
“Another measure is to adopt a compensation mechanism for vaccines. Because there are some people who may be afraid of some consequences and such reproach is expressed that if something happens, the State will not even take care of me, it will not pay any compensation,” he continued.
The politician also described what measures he thinks the government could take now, even without waiting for amendments to the laws passed by parliament. One of them is the direct visit of the population, encouraging them to get vaccinated.
“It just came to our notice then. This is being introduced, but it’s called ‘pilots’ for some reason. The government is ‘testing’ something else. It is not very clear who needs to ‘pilot’ here, if they have found a tool. “, the peasant is convinced.
Finally, the former Minister of Health stressed the need to “outdo” GPs by giving them the vaccines themselves and allowing their patients to be vaccinated. Although he said he supported A. Dulkis’ decision to increase supplements for family physicians whose patients chose to get vaccinated, he added that such bonuses are virtually meaningless as long as the doctors themselves do not have a “tool” to earn this bonus.
“How do I get those 15 euros if I don’t have vaccines? It is a very strange incentive when you animate but do not give a tool with which to make money. You promise a lot of money to build a house, but no bricks or tools. How is that family doctor going to vaccinate if he hasn’t been vaccinated yet? “TO. Veryga asked rhetorically.
ELTA recalls that the Government will decide on Wednesday on the mandatory use of masks indoors, but according to I. Šimonytė, the introduction of a quarantine regime after the adoption of these changes will not be necessary.
“It seems that we will deal with an emergency situation,” I. Šimonytė assured reporters at the Seimas on Tuesday.
According to the Prime Minister, first of all, the new procedure for the use of masks will be established by a resolution of the Government.
“The main problem was not that the government wanted to quarantine because they really like the quarantine. (…) Now, during an emergency, it is the responsibility of the business leaders of the service provider, the stores, to make sure that people who come to a room must wear masks. And as if the responsibility also applies to those who did not secure it, “said the Prime Minister.
However, according to I. Šimonytė, the essence of the envisaged resolution is that the liability must be directed at a specific person who does not meet the established requirements.
“But when we talk about the obligation to use for everyone, it is if we are safe, and then I understand that the lawyers, however, have come to the conclusion that they are safe and the jurisprudence is enough to justify that opinion. that responsibility should be., who does not meet the requirements – for a person who does not wear a mask, “said the Prime Minister.
