Serbia additionally relaxes Covid measures: These are the latest decisions made by the Crisis HQ

The meeting of the Crisis HQ - set up in Serbia to combat the coronavirus epidemic - which started at around 2 pm today, has ended. The current epidemiological situation was analyzed during the session. According to Minister Darija Kisic Tepavcevic, who is also a member of the Crisis HQ, the following measures have been agreed on: hospitality establishments will be allowed to stay open until midnight - both outdoors and indoors - while kiosks will be able to work around the clock. The decision on the new opening hours of hospitality establishments will be in force starting on Tuesday.

The opening hours of cinemas have also been extended, so the last screenings will be starting at 11 pm. One of the most important decisions refers to paying 3,000 dinars to people who get vaccinated, which will be available to everyone who applies for vaccination during Monday until midnight, and gets vaccinated within the following seven days.

In the coming days, a decision will be made on how high school students will be able to celebrate their graduation, as well as the rules according to which these parties will be organized. It has also been decided to increase the allowed number of participants in congress events - so far the limit has been 100 people, while from now on twice as many participants will be allowed. When asked if that means that wedding parties can also go ahead, the minister said that a congress is a different type of gathering, "people just sit there."

One of the decisions is also that the free of charge PCR test for those traveling to Germany will be abolished.

According to Kisic Tepavcevic, a sporting event (that took place in Belgrade over the weekend) with fans present was beyond all recommendations and there was no permit for it. She described it as irresponsible and inadmissible.

Asked why the police did not react to an obvious violation of Covid restrictions, the minister said that we don't have a police officer for each citizen.

"We must understand that those people who went there are doing themselves a disservice, because they are at risk of getting infected. We must control ourselves, sanctions must not be the reason to act responsibly. We have said many times that the key word is the collective: collective fight, responsibility, immunity..."

A new wave in the fall? "We are much stronger now"

"Late fall does mark the beginning of respiratory infections, so we expect that all respiratory infections will be more present then. But we are much stronger now," said the minister, speaking a possible new coronavirus wave in the fall.

"Young people have not been a priority, they aren't even today in those countries that do not have enough vaccines, it is up to young people to deal the final blow (to the virus) and a significant number of those over 16 have responded to vaccination, they are young, healthy, strong. By getting vaccinated we also protects those who cannot be vaccinated due to various diseases. Young people in our country will undoubtedly show that they are responsible."

In the coming weeks, we expect a decision on the vaccination with the Pfizer vaccine of children aged 12 to 16.

Epidemiologist Dr. Predrag Kon, a member of the Crisis HQ, said earlier today that we are in a more stable epidemiological situation, but that the fact is that the virus is still with us.

Ahead of today's session of the Crisis HQ, Dr. Kon stressed that measures would be relaxed if this situation continues.

"All indicators are there, it's clear that there must be some easing and there will continue to be if this situation, that is, improvement continues. We are now in a more stable situation. The fact is that the virus is still with us and has moved towards younger people, while in the total population the numbers are decreasing. That extra caution can be measured in weeks so that no surprise happens to us, not the kind we had, but no surprises are needed," Dr. Kon told Happy TV.

However, he also spoke about the summer that is behind us, when the epidemiological situation worsened once again.

Last night, Deputy Belgrade Mayor Goran Vesic announced that he would ask the Crisis HQ to extend the opening hours of hospitality establishments until 1 am.

"I announced today that tomorrow I will write a 'small book' to the Crisis HQ in order to extend the opening hours of hospitality establishments until 1 am. The pen wasn't even in my hand when and I received an invitation to attend a meeting of the Crisis HQ, which will be held tomorrow (Monday) at 2 pm in the Palace of Serbia. Tomorrow, at the session of the Crisis HQ, I will ask for the opening hours of hospitality establishments to be extended in cities that have over 50 percent of their population vaccinated," Vesic said last night.

The latest report

Coronavirus was confirmed in 248 people in the last 24 hours, while 11 more patients died. 8,684 people were tested.

661 people are hospitalized across in Serbia, 46 of whom are on ventilators.

So far coronavirus has been confirmed in 712,224 people in Serbia, from a total of 4,144,092 tested. The Covid death toll is now at 6,854.

(Telegraf.rs)