Easter with caution and masks indoors

For the third year Greeks will celebrate Easter with care and personal protection measures, but closer to normal than the previous two years. SARS-CoV-2 is persistent and through its variants reminds us that it is still with us.

“We will celebrate Easter with the current measures, with care and with masks indoors. We will meet our loved ones, we will celebrate by watching the older and more vulnerable. “If we present any suspicious symptom, we will be isolated, protecting ourselves and our loved ones”, the Deputy Minister of Health, Mina Gaga told state news agency AMNA.

The steps to return to normalcy are gradual and careful, and scientists are closely monitoring the epidemiological situation. “After two years of health, social and economic pressures,” says Gaga, “we all need to relax. But we must continue to be careful, for ourselves and our loved ones, especially if they belong to a vulnerable group. Pandemic control is based from the outset on individual- alongside collective and political- responsibility. Without very citizen’s contribution, pandemic management cannot be achieved. In our country, most of the population from the beginning showed a high sense of social awareness and individual responsibility, adhering to the measures and being vaccinated. That is why we have to thank all these citizens for their efforts. ”

“Decisions follow scientific recommendations”

The Deputy Minister of Health emphasizes that the situation is being closely monitored and the decisions follow scientific recommendations. Regarding the appearance of a new mutation of SARS-CoV-2, Ms. Gaga stated that “the appearance of a new variant can not be predicted, neither in terms of time of occurrence nor of course in terms of transmissibility and morbidity. We are monitoring the epidemiological development both in our country and in Europe and the rest of the world, we are listening to the suggestions of the scientific committees and we are proceeding accordingly “. Regarding the end of the pandemic, “it is impossible to make predictions”, underlines the Deputy Minister of Health.

Regarding the preparation of the NHS for dealing with a possible pandemic wave in the autumn, Ms. Gaga emphasized: “The NHS has been coping with multiple pandemic waves for the past two years. The experience is now greater, while the system has been strengthened and will be further strengthened.”

She added that “the pandemic highlighted even more the importance and value of cooperation and teamwork, redefined the doctor-patient-nurse-patient relationship and re-focused the great power of the NHS, which is none other than its staff. For these people and for all the citizens who trust the public health system, we design and implement a new, more humane, more flexible and more efficient NHS.”