Crisis HQ meeting tomorrow to introduce these measures in Serbia: July will be dramatic

The responsible minister has already sent a recommendation to nursing homes to strengthen the measures, and they will be like during the state of emergency

Coronavirus in Serbia has not been subsiding for days, instead, each day for some time now has seen more than 90 new cases, and experts have already cautiously announced the possibility of introducing or reintroducing anti-epidemic measures.

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As we have learned, institutions and cities will not be shut down, but some measures that have been relaxed will be tightened again, and the most certain one is a ban on visiting hospitals, and mandatory wearing of masks in public transport.

As we have learned, the crisis HQ is meeting tomorrow, to also consider whether Bezanijska Kosa should become a Covid hospital, which was previously not the case at any time. Mandatory wearing of masks in transport, stores, shopping malls will be considered... Also, we learn that the intent is to reduce the limit of the number of people who can gather both indoors and outdoors.

As we have learned, rumors that kindergartens will close again are not true. Nursing homes are already stepping up measures.

Crisis HQ member immunologist Srdja Jankovic warned today that there is again a threat of a flare-up of the coronavirus epidemic in Serbia and that restrictive measures will be considered to prevent that, but he ruled out the possibility of introducing a curfew.

"As the epidemic waned, there was a certain easing of measures and now, with a new threat, we need to think," he said.

In a similar tone, epidemiologist Predrag Kon, also a member of the Crisis HQ for the fight against coronavirus, made a post on his Facebook profile.

He said that the situation in Belgrade is threatening, and that when students return home in July, the same could happen in the rest of Serbia. In one part of his status, he said that a state of emergency will not be reintroduced, and that the elderly will no longer be locked down, except that strict care will be taken of those who are in collectives.

"Some bans will most likely happen soon, e.g. bans on hospital visits. There will probably be some rules (for example, wearing masks in public transport or in stores)," wrote Dr. Kon.

Tiodorovic: Protect chronically ill and elderly

Epidemiologist and member of the Crisis HQ Branislav Tiodorovic believes that due to the current epidemiological situation, it is not necessary to reintroduce restrictions for citizens. He points out that the most important thing is to protect the elderly population and those who are chronically ill, and recalls that younger people can also fall in the chronically ill category.

He told TV Prva that the cause of the increase in the number of coronavirus cases is non-compliance with the existing measures - hand washing, disinfection, wearing masks indoors and maintining a distance of one meter.

"By respecting these measures, we will reduce the possibility of transmitting the virus. Also, in the coming summer months, meteorologists are announcing warm days, which will not suit the spread of the virus," he stated.

Tiodorovic points out that a change in tactics and strategy in the fight against coronavirus should be considered.

"We need to treat this disease like other viral diseases. In fact, any patient who appears should be considered positive for coronavirus until determined otherwise. All measures of self-protection and protection of the patient should be implemented," he stressed, and reminded that high humidity and cool weather affects the spread of the virus, as well as that a large number of young people carry the virus, but do not have any pronounced symptoms:

"It is especially important to continue to protect the elderly population and the chronically ill. Younger people can also be chronically ill."

Djordjevic: In nursing homes, measures like during state of emergency

During the day, the Ministry of Labor, Veteran and Social Affairs will send a recommendation to strengthen preventive measures in order to suppress the Covid-19 epidemic in institutions for the elderly, announced Minister Zoran Djordjevic.

Djordjevic told Tanjug that preventive measures in nursing homes which were in force during the state of emergency, still remain in order to prevent the spread of the infection, and recalled that the measures were very strict from the very beginning, to make the risk as low as possible.

"Today, we will send another recommendation to the gerontology centers to strengthen preventive measures in order to prevent infection. Otherwise, everyone who works in such institutions adheres to the measures that remained the same even after the state of emergency was lifted," said Djordjevic.

The minister said that once again, attention will be drawn to what everyone must adhere to during working hours, for directors to have a conversation with employees, in order to act preventively and in time.

Djordjevic also recalled that "algorithms" have been developed on how to act in case of symptoms, i.e. to know exactly what needs to be done so that the virus does not spread any further.

Coronavirus has been confirmed in 125 residents and 35 employees in social protection institutions and homes for adults and the elderly, according to the latest data from the ministry.

To date, coronavirus has been confirmed in 12,990 people in Serbia. It has taken 262 lives.

(Lj.R. - lj.racic@telegraf.rs)