Filenews 13 July 2021 - by Marilena Panagi
The implementation of SafePass in almost all areas has in several cases caused tensions between premises managers and customers but mainly between police officers and citizens, while yesterday representatives of the business world had a re-meeting with Health Minister Michalis Hatzipantella to discuss ways to deal with this phenomenon.
As the Police note, the checks carried out over the last 24 hours show that there are two categories of people reacting. Those who claim not to have been informed of the new ordinance and the use of SafePass, and those who consciously refuse to implement it. Some of them even become aggressive towards members of the police.
The reactions on the part of a number of citizens, who are either customers or employees who do not present SafePass in their work, also occupied yesterday's meeting of employers' organisations with the Minister of Health Michalis Hatzipantella. During the meeting, suggestions are recorded which will be processed in this way.
In the meantime, the Health Ministry is working on a proposal that the €20 cap currently in place for rapid testing in private laboratories and pharmacies will be reduced in the next few days.
In a statement, the curator of clinical laboratories and head of the rapid-test program of the Ministry of Health, Karolina Stylianou, asked to answer exactly what will apply from 1 August if the free provision of tests to citizens is finally discontinued, she said that "various scenarios of providing rapid tests to people who will be entitled to them free of charge, which may include mobile units, are considered. , maybe not. It is an issue that will be resolved soon."
Decisions are also expected, "on how to check doctors' certificates that the person cannot be vaccinated for medical reasons and may pass through a relevant committee of the Ministry of Health".
As far as the price of the tests is concerned, there is currently a cap on €20 and "thoughts are being made about reducing it, because the aim is to carry out the tests and not to prohibit prices".
"We want people who for some reason choose to take tests to be able to do them from an economic point of view. On the other hand we don't want some health professionals to see it as the golden opportunity to make money," he said.
Regarding the tests of the last few days (Friday, Saturday, Sunday), after the mandatory presentation of SafePass in almost all places, Ms. Stylianou said that, "we had 20,000 people every day, more than last week. The issue of high temperature is a problem, efforts have been made with air-conditioned spaces and tents, but it cannot be resolved everywhere."
