Crisis HQ's medical part wants emergency session because of new strain: There's another main topic

Photo: Tanjug/Sava Radovanovic

A meeting of the Crisis HQ set up to combat the coronavirus epidemic in Serbia will be held on Wednesday starting at 3 pm, and as Telegraf.rs has learned, the medical part of this body has requested that its members meet urgently because of the new strain of coronavirus - Omicron, which is getting closer to Serbia.

This strain has been confirmed in Austria as well, and President Aleksandar Vucic himself stated today that it is now a question of time before it appears in our country as well.

"As for the appearance of Omicron, if it's been registered in Austria, it's a matter of days before it reaches our country as well. We have had a significant drop in the numbers compared to seven days ago, and just when everything was getting better, the last thing we needed was that Omicron," said President Vucic.

He added that he expects that in five to six months there will be a super vaccine that will solve all the problems, and that it will be produced in Serbia as well.

"Until then, let's be careful as much as possible. Vaccination is crucial. Nobody in the world knows anything about this new strain yet, how are we supposed to," he said.

As Telegraf.rs has learned, as soon as the news about Omicron started arriving from around the world last week, the medical part of the Crisis HQ requested an emergency session.

The main topic will be the new strain, and the second item on the agenda will be the school break, which epidemiologists want to start on December 20.

Portugal is the latest European country to confirm cases of the new strain, Omicron. Potentially more contagious than earlier strains, the variant, first identified in South Africa, has spread to at least 15 countries around the world, prompting several nations to step up anti-Covid measures.

Prior to that, Switzerland, Denmark, the Netherlands, Austria, Germany, the Czech Republic, Italy, Great Britain and Belgium also announced that they had registered cases of the new strain.

In addition to European countries, the Omicron strain has been confirmed in Australia, Botswana, Canada, Hong Kong and Israel.

The previous session of the Crisis HQ was held on November 4 when a decision was made to mandate Covid passes in hospitality establishments starting at 8 pm each evening, instead of at 10 pm.

(Telegraf.rs)