The government was considering examining the possibility of making COVID-19 mandatory – Respublika.lt

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The Government has considered the possibility of making COVID-19 mandatory. ELTA photo

The Ministry of Health is considering proposing to supplement the draft Law on Prevention and Control of Communicable Diseases by means of the necessary examination of people suspected of COVID-19, as well as people who have been in contact and carriers of the pathogens during the outbreak. . , without consent.

Similarly, individuals suspected of having COVID-19 who have been exposed to carriers of these pathogens are offered the necessary tests if an outbreak of a contagious disease requiring testing is identified, and testing is denied or avoided and represented a risk to the health of others. The necessary investigation is managed by an official of the National Public Health Center (NVSC) who investigates the outbreak and is organized by the director of the municipal administration.

According to the bill, it is proposed that employee health exams for COVDI-19 can be financed from the state budget in accordance with the procedure established by the Government or paid for by the employer.

It is also proposed to complement the bill to give the Government the right to additionally provide jobs and areas of activity in which employees who have been additionally screened for a communicable disease for which an emergency or quarantine is declared at the state level allowed to work.

Prime Minister Ingrida Šimonytė pointed out that this bill is necessary for the Government to cover the costs of COVDI-19 tests.

“It just came to our attention then. But the problem is that we can delegate, but we don’t have to pay. This means that the employer would also be obliged to pay when the government stipulates that employees must be tested before starting work.” , He said.

Meanwhile, Chancellor Gabriel Landsberg asked at the meeting to clarify whether the intention was to make the tests mandatory or mandatory.

“I would like a clarification, because the dictionary is quite important. You (I. Šimonytė – red.past.) Mention the word obligatory, (Minister of Health – red.past.) Mention the word obligatory. Could you explain to the Cabinet what word is final and how do we conceive legal logic with everyone? ”he asked.

“If there is an obligation to carry out a test before starting an activity, or otherwise a person cannot carry out that activity, it is an obligation.

In this case (forced test – red.past.) We are talking about something else, such as an outbreak that is registered in a particular institution and where all people must be examined at the outbreak site. This is something else, because if we act like we do now in the outbreak, we will wait for someone to develop symptoms and then we will examine those symptomatic people … I’m afraid we won’t be able to handle the outbreaks. successfully, ”the Prime Minister explained.

However, Mr. Landsbergis noted that there was a need to review the provision that COVID-19 testing might be mandatory in certain cases.

What does the word forced mean? Because it is without human consent. (…) I understand that if it is mandatory, a person cannot go back to work, work, the company cannot open. But forced means that if a person says, “I refuse,” what does the word forced to test without consent mean? “, I ask.