Crisis HQ session ends: It has been decided whether Covid measures will be relaxed

The emergence of a new strain absolutely rules out the possibility of relaxing the measures

Members of the Crisis HQ for the fight against Covid 19 met at 9 am in the Palace of Serbia to hold the first session after the appearance of a new, British strain of this virus.

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The epidemiological situation was analyzed, the new strain was discussed, as well as vaccination in our country.

For the moment, there will be no lifting of anti-epidemic measures, said Minister of Labor, Employment, Veteran and Social Affairs and a member of the Crisis HQ Dr. Darija Kisic-Tepavcevic.

Even the proposed canceling if obligatory negative PCR tests for those entering Serbia from Hungary has not been adopted, although the Crisis HQ discussed the topic today.

After the session, Kisic-Tepavcevic said that 415,000 people have been vaccinated against coronavirus in Serbia so far.

"Our citizens are extremely interested. We monitor the side effects, we had 3 cases among 415,000, that is, more severe ones, which required hospitalization. One was a hematoma, an inflammation of the lymph nodes, and a milder form of allergic reaction. All three were quickly released from the hospital and their condition was not life-threatening," she pointed out.

Radojicic: Somewhat better in hospitals, but measures remain in force

Mayor of Belgrade Zoran Radojicic said last night that the situation in hospitals in the capital is somewhat better, but that public health prevention measures must remain in force until further notice.

"Compliance with the measures must be in force and at a high level. The situation is somewhat better in hospitals, but our healthcare workers are extremely exhausted. We have 4,512 people currently hospitalized with Covid. There are more of those who are recovering, but it's far from being able to relax and say that the pandemic is over," Radojicic told Kopernikus TV.

He stressed the importance of the widest possible coverage of the population with vaccination and added that he believes "the beginning of the final phase of Covid" is coming.

"Fellow citizens have recognized the importance of vaccination. Information is coming that as better information and knowledge about the disease Covid-19 grows, so does the number of people interested in vaccination. In total, over 50,000 people have been vaccinated in Belgrade as of yesterday," said Radojicic.

Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic announced on Sunday that a new, British strain had arrived in Serbia. He said it was brought by a woman who came from London. The same evening, Minister of Health Zlatibor Loncar said the woman was born in 1958, that she most likely became infected on the plane and that she felt problems three days after.

Since the beginning of the epidemic, coronavirus has been confirmed in a total of 390,637 people in Serbia.

According to the latest report yesterday at 3 pm, samples taken from 10,637 people had been tested over the previous 24 hours, with 1,592 positives. 21 more people died during the same time.

Currently 4,206 patients are hospitalized in healthcare institutions and temporary hospitals, of which 162 are on ventilators.

A total of 2,588,844 people have been tested in Serbia since the start of the pandemic. Covid has taken 3,965 lives so far.