By Sofia Kostara
On the third day of the new year, only complacency and relaxation do not prevail within the government, but also in the Committees of experts, since, in terms of the major health issue at the moment in our country, the “coexistence” of the “Delta” mutations “and” Omicron “puts on alert, in order to assess the pandemic, after the New Year’s Eve, but also for decision-making – primarily for the opening of schools after the Christmas holidays.
Although the intention of the experts is the smooth operation of the educational process, as announced during the latest information about the pandemic – the professor of Pediatric Infectious Diseases, Vana Papaevangelou, the possibility of conducting a rapid test for returning to school is an issue that is in table of discussions, according to what the Deputy Minister of Education, Zeta Makri, said.
Reiterating the government’s intention to return to school normally on January 10, Ms. Makri noted that experts will decide within a week whether or not to modify health protocols, without ruling out the possibility of children returning to class with rapid instead of self test.
On the other hand, the extension of the school holidays by one week was suggested by the professor of Pulmonology, Nikos Tzanakis, claiming that “if we open the schools, they will close after five days, ten days”. Explaining his proposal, “every family has at least one active case … It is so aggressive and so exponential (Omicron)” said Mr. Tzanakis, predicting that there will be no stabilization or remission of cases before January 15-20. “Rapid tests are done and will be done, but at the moment they will not suppress this outbreak. It is a very big outbreak. If we see that we are stabilizing or falling into cases, something that we do not see before January 15-20, then we move on to further “It does not cost financially and socially a week’s extension,” he concluded.
As far as vaccines are concerned, the strongest fact that exists at the moment is the possible protection they offer against the new “Omicron” mutation, which brings closer the possibility of extending the obligation of vaccination to the age group of citizens 50 -60 years, while the vaccine becomes mandatory for all citizens over 60, from 16 January.
At the same time, the dual prevalence in the country of the “Delta” and “Omicron” mutations is confronting scientists with the possibility of further tightening of health restrictions, despite their recent update, just a few days earlier. In other words, in case the frantic course of the new cases leads the NSS endurance to a limit point, it is not excluded that new restrictions on catering, sports and entertainment (in entertainment venues) may be taken again.
.
Source From: Capital
