Crisis HQ to be deciding about coronavirus measures next week: Main topics are known

Photo: Tanjug/Rade Prelic

Although it was expected that a meeting of the Crisis HQ for the fight against coronavirus would be held by the end of this week, i.e., by today, its members will, as we have learned, meet in the Palace of Serbia at the beginning of next week.

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They have not yet officially received invitations to attend the session, but they are already, especially the medical part, considering among themselves the main topics of discussion, but also which anti-epidemic measures could be brought back.

A source of Telegraf.rs from the Crisis HQ says that apart from finally agreeing about how the school year will start, the topics are how to increase the vaccination rate, curb the Delta strain, which is more contagious than all others, but fortunately, does not cause severe illness like the Wuhan and the British strains. It is also up to clinicians to explain why there are those who have already had coronavirus, as well as those who have been vaccinated among the newly infected.

"First, the epidemiological situation, which is not good at all, will be analyzed. It's clear that a new wave started before we expected it, although it did not surprise us if we take into account that everyone went on vacation, and used the situation to organize celebrations. That is understandable, people are fatigued, this is taking too long. But, we should understand that it (the epidemic) has lasted too long because we forgot about the three main measures - masks, distancing and disinfection," the source from the Crisis HQ told Telegraf.rs and added that the start of the school year will most likely look like the previous, i.e., that students from from first to fourth grades in elementary schools will go to school, while others will have combined classes.

Asked if we can already expect a reduction in the number of people allowed to gather indoors as well as outdoors, and perhaps shorter opening hours of hospitality establishments, he said that this second option has not yet been seen on the table, which is not the case when it comes to the first.

"Gatherings are the biggest problem. It's up to us to see whether this wave caused by summer vacations and celebrations will spill over, or stop. Opening hours of hospitality establishments are not disputable if the measures are respected in them. Inspectors must do their job," explains our source.

The wave arrived a month earlier

He adds that what is currently good is that the number of hospitalized people is not increasing as much as the number of first examinations, which is increasing day by day, but hospitals are still slowly filling up.

The number of cases, as stated by Dr. Nevenka Pavlovic, head of epidemiology and microbiology and deputy director of the City Institute of Public Health in Belgrade, has been growing for the past 35 days. HQ member Professor Dr. Tanja Jovanovic says that it is clear that the wave that was expected in September started in August, while State Secretary in the Ministry of Health Mirsad Djerlek said that 95% of newly infected people have the Delta strain.

"It was not expected that the fourth wave would occur already in August, and that the number of new cases and hospitalizations would increase now, but the healthcare system was ready for that.

That's when it comes to capacity, drugs, staff... I hope that the three Covid hospitals (in Krusevac, Batajnica and the hospital in Novi Sad which will be ready in September) along with the (Belgrade) Arena will be enough to accommodate Covid patients," said Djerlek.

He added that there is also the "plan B," which means that some other hospitals could join the Covid system once again.

Minister of Health Zlatibor Loncar has said that the session of the Crisis HQ will be convened in the next few days, but also stressed that we do not need the Crisis HQ to know that we should respect the measures. According to him, the most important thing now is for the health system to function and for hospital capacities to be expanded.

Hospitals are ready

He added that hospitals are preparing for new patients and that an order from the Crisis HQ is not needed for that.

"We react immediately, related to the numbers. Again, I appeal on citizens to get vaccinated, and now we have provided the third dose. It's also important that we respect the measures and we don't need the Crisis HQ to tell us that we have to take care and avoid crowds," Loncar told TV Pink yesterday.

The third dose of the vaccine started to be administered in Serbia on Tuesday, while vaccination of children began in early summer. However, at the beginning of July, the Delta strain of coronavirus, a double mutant, was confirmed in Serbia. This strain spreads much faster, so experts attribute the higher number of new cases to it.

The number of people getting infected on a daily basis since last week has again gone into four digits, while the number of patients who depend on ventilators to breathe is growing.

According to yesterday's report, in the previous 24 hours coronavirus was confirmed in 1,656 people out of 12,869 tested. Five patients died, while 28 were on ventilators.

(Telegraf.rs)