Filenews 21 December 2021 - by Marilena Panagi
Table for 20 people we can plan for Christmas (it is unknown what will apply on New Year's Day since it will depend on the epidemiological data).
The majority of the Advisory Scientific Committee and despite the statements of some members of the TEU in recent days, has spoken out against the relevant recommendation and therefore no change in the gatherings in general should be expected.
But it will probably change the validity time of SafePass for those recovered, from six months it will fall to three, while those employees who have received the first or two doses of the vaccine will be forced to test once a week.
Small changes also for unvaccinated children since the proposal to lift the ban on entry to unvaccinated persons was generally rejected again by the majority of the TEU and instead, it was decided that children over 12 years of age who are not vaccinated, will ensure entry to places where the right to enter unvaccinated is not given, if accompanied by their parents who must be vaccinated and provided that they have a negative three-day test.
The majority of the TEU also rejected a proposal to increase the rate of teleworking to 50% but it was decided that all children and teachers should return to their schools after the holidays with a negative test. A proposal for an extension of a few days to the holiday was also on the table, and in particular it was discussed whether it would be useful not to reopen schools for a single day on 7 January, but no decision was taken on this.
It is worth mentioning that during yesterday's meeting of the Minister of Health with the members of the TEU, the decisions were taken after a vote and specifically the members of the advisory committee were asked to take a position on each of the suggestions he put before them.
In a vote, suggestions were put to the reduction of the number of people in gatherings in homes, to lift the bans on the unvaccinated in the restaurants, to increase the rate of teleworking in businesses to 50% from 20% today, for tests on all employees, for the extension of holidays in schools, for tests by all students and teachers before the reopening of schools, to reduce the validity of SafePass for patients and to change the way vaccinated people are treated as close contacts of cases. For the latest recommendation, the members of the TEU have spoken in favour and announcements from the Ministry of Health are to be expected in the coming days.
The possibility of setting up an infections sub-committee to monitor the situation and submit its recommendations to the Minister of Health and the TEU was also raised for discussion. No final decision was taken, however.
It is reported that some (very few) of the members of the TEU asked that their personal suggestions should not be given even to their colleagues before the final decisions were taken after expressing fears of leaks to the media.
However, the Minister of Health in his introductory statement called on all the members of the TEU to cooperate, stressing that "at the moment the citizens are waiting for us to tell them how to spend their holidays and we cannot give the impression that we do not agree with each other". He also asked that "the suggestions that will be put before the Cabinet are agreed so that there are no disagreements in public afterwards".
What was agreed yesterday between the Minister of Health and scientists is expected to be presented today before the Council of Ministers and if it is adopted by the other ministers then Michalis Hadjipantelas will proceed after the meeting to relevant announcements. It is also not excluded that the Council of Ministers will add additional measures if it deems it necessary.
They don't see lockdown but warn
For the time being, the universal lockdown does not seem to be included in the government's intentions and this is easily ascertained by the recommendations made yesterday before the members of the TEU by the Minister of Health, Michalis Hadjipantelas. However, the President of the Republic in his statements did not fail to warn citizens about the future: "If you compare what is happening in Cyprus with what is happening in Cyprus and the rest of Europe and the rest of the world, you will find that we are trying to manage the freedoms of the citizen and professionals in the best possible way. But the most important thing is for both citizens and professionals to realise that if certain measures are not followed, we will inevitably be led to stricter ones. What is important is to see the health of each one, the health of our fellow human beings, but at the same time the economic survival of businesses, workers, self-employed and by extension the state".
For the individual responsibility especially against the days of the holidays, spoke in his own statements and the Minister of Health who said characteristically that "the first to put water in his wine is the minister, I understand the concerns of the people, but at the same time we have a great responsibility to keep the place, businesses and the economy open and give the opportunity to people to have a Christmas with their loved ones. The easiest thing for us would be to do a lockdown as they do in other countries and there would be no problem. But we are trying in the hard way to implement the measures that we have to implement and as it seems at the moment the measures are having very good results."
Agathaggelou attack on OSAK
However, the President of the PIS, Petros Agathaggelou, during his presence yesterday at the Ministry of Health as a member of the Hellenic Federation of Hospitals of Cyprus, launched fire on the Federation of Cyprus Patients' Associations because of the letter sent by the OSAK to the Minister of Health, submitting specific recommendations for taking measures during the holidays. Mr. Agathaggelou's positions were adopted by two other members of the TEU, however, the Minister of Health indicated that the proposals of the OSAK, as well as other health-related bodies, are welcome.
