"One step forward, two backwards"; A new strain of the virus in Serbia?

"One step forward, two backwards"; A new strain of the virus in Serbia?

A total of 9.699 patients were hospitalized in Serbia, and out of the total number, 81 are medical workers.

"We still face with a very serious epidemiological situation, especially difficult in large covid hospitals," says Dr. Tiodorović, but he adds that it is possible that we have a slight tendency to fall.

According to him, in the coming days and months, we must be ready to implement the measures in full, to think about others and about us, in order to achieve collective immunity in the coming months. The medical part of the staff is of the opinion that there can be no easing of measures, says Dr Tidorović.

"We only talked about the weekend, it doesn't matter if the working days will be crowded and the idea to use this weekend in that sense is justified. Shopping malls and other stores will work until 8 pm, in order to provide more time for shopping. I must emphasize that the COVID wardens must perform their duty to the fullest extent, as it has been noticed that a number of shopping centers do not respect that", he states.

"The one who decided to sell the arrangements - that's his problem."

1.000 tickets for a concert by one performer were sold on Zlatibor, and many restaurants and clubs in Belgrade approve reservations.

"I will be direct, the one who decided to sell the arrangements - that is his problem. I will even be more direct - the majority of the Crisis Staff members agree and will not enable the New Year's Eve in an organized way," commented Dr Tiodorović.

According to him, no one got the consent to organize it. When asked what gives him confidence that the medical part of the Crisis Staff will not be outvoted and make a decision to soften the measures for the New Year, Dr Tiodorović says: "We are in contact practically every day. You have to understand that if you do not enable the basic activities to function - it can endanger health and it is not a compromise. But the easing of measures (for the New Year) leads to a new wave and could reach the worst peaks we have had", explains Dr Tiodorović.

The measures were adopted for the weekend, while they are still not known for other holidays, and Tiodorović says that the situation is assessed on a daily basis.

"Today, however, we decided to regulate the weekend, and on Monday we will make an assessment, and I do not expect a change in attitude. Objectively, we do not have the conditions for the New Year's Eve we are used to," he says.

"The plan exists"

The vaccination plan was made by the National Immunization Group.

"The plan exists. That group knows what it is doing," Dr Tidorovic claims. For him and his colleagues, he states, it is a great thing that we are among the first countries in Europe to start vaccination process.

"This was expected and prepared. Yesterday it was in Belgrade and Novi Sad, today it is in Nis. I think we will realize it quickly," he says. Asked whether visits to old people's homes would be allowed after the second dose of the vaccine, Tidorovic said that some time would have to pass in order to create immunity.

"We have to expect a weaker response to the vaccine in the elderly. We have to know that we will have to respect masks, disinfection and distance for a long time to come," he added. Tidorović also states that the vast majority behaves in a disciplined manner, but that is not enough.

According to him, a new strain of coronavirus from Great Britain does not exist in Serbia. The implementation of all measures will still be closely monitored, and the medical part of the Crisis Staff was in favor of stopping flights to Great Britain. The assessment in the end was that it was not necessary. "The whole world is one village, we are all directed at each other and we have to cooperate," he says.

According to him, a larger amount of vaccines will reach Serbia in January.