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The introductory statement by the Undersecretary to the Prime Minister and Government Spokesman Stelios Petsas. Informing the political editors and the correspondents of the foreign press in regards to coronavirus, economy and education.
Below Zakynthos Informer has reported his speech in regards to the coronavirus and what is expected from us all.
In the first phase of dealing with the coronavirus, we succeeded. We listened to the views of the experts, made timely decisions and disciplined the tough but absolutely necessary measures taken by the Prime Minister and the Government. And we have been doing this for a long time, not only during the lockdown in March and April, but also after its lifting on May 4, 2020. We have made Greece, all together, an international model country in dealing with the global crisis the pandemic coronavirus is causing. And from June 15 onwards, we gradually opened the gates of our country to the world. Because we are an open society with hospitable people, but also a country that last year had 18 billion euros in direct revenue from tourism.
We have opened to welcome our visitors, always guided by the protection of public health and human life. When we opened the gates of our country to the world, we knew that there would be imported cases of coronavirus. With this assessment, we have organized a pioneering system of targeted controls, but also direct tracking of any cases, in order to be quickly encircled and there is no dispersion in the community. So far, so good. In 31,169 tests performed at all entry gates in the country between 1 and 6 July 2020, 100 were positive. That is, only 0.3%. Therefore, there are imported cases, but the increase is mild and controlled.
The biggest problems are due to the influx of land border crossings, especially as the coronavirus is on the rise in the Balkans. And we rearranged the sampling, targeted tests for the virus, giving much more emphasis to the entrance gate of Promachona (Προμαχώνα). We monitor epidemiological data internationally and are ready to adapt our decisions accordingly. Either by temporarily excluding visitors from heavier areas – as was unfortunately the case with Serbia – or by allowing faster flights from other countries, as will happen with the United Kingdom from 15 July.
We monitor, we analyze, and we adjust our strategy. But the biggest risk right now is not from abroad. It’s internally. They are unacceptable phenomena of relaxation. The coronavirus has not left. It is here and it feeds on our relaxation. Let’s not do it a favour. It is absolutely necessary, especially now, that social and professional life has largely been restored, now that, due to the summer, our travels to various parts of the country have increased, now that various events have begun in our cities and villages, I repeat. , it is absolutely necessary to be doubly careful!
We all should follow the recommendations of experts, follow the rules of personal hygiene and protection, wear a mask where it is needed or recommended, keep the distances. If we do that, we will stop feeding the invader. Everyone and each individual, have a responsibility, to ourselves, to the people we love and to society. But professionals and employees in particular have a responsibility, from shops to health stores and from hotels to transportation. Professionals and employees who are all valuable allies in this struggle. The government calls on them to continue to be allies and ambassadors in this struggle. We believe that the vast majority will continue, as they have done so far, to respond with a high sense of responsibility to this additional task of tackling the pandemic.
We assure you that the Government will activate all the control mechanisms at its disposal, in order to protect the many responsible, from the few superficial ones. As of today, an extensive control plan is being implemented by all state and regional services, under the coordination of the Single Transparency Authority. Penalties for violations are strict. In a period of hardship, in fact, they become more severe. But it is up to all professionals and employees to avoid them. Follow the rules. They are common to all. The fines are heavy, for example, for passengers on public transport, not only on public transport, but also on other land, shipping and air transport.
However, the economic costs will be multiplied if we allow the cases of coronavirus to increase, fill our hospitals and risk losing in August and September, two months that are expected to breathe new life into tourist areas. And it will be a crime if, out of frivolity, we are allowed to relax, endangering the health of our loved ones. If we relax, we will pay for it!
The full announcement can be heard in Greek on the video below:-
