Brnabić: "COVID passes from Saturday"; Medical staff still recommends lockdown VIDEO

Brnabić: "COVID passes from Saturday"; Medical staff still recommends lockdown VIDEO

At the session, it was decided that COVID passes would be introduced.

Prime Minister Ana Brnabić confirmed that and announced that the passess would be introduced from Saturday, October 23. "Although we have over 50 deaths a day, and many infected, no one thinks it is expedient to respect the measures, which is why we have started to tighten the measures," she said.

As she said, the inspection supervision of compliance with the measures has been strengthened by 10 percent and the number of imposed fines has been increased by 200 percent. "Legal entities are being punished, COVID-wardens are being punished... Now we are finally seeing some result of that," she said.

She added that vaccination in Serbia is still below the necessary level.

"We see that more and more young people are getting sick, and we have the death of a 16-year-old boy today," Brnabić pointed out. "The appeal is simple - vaccination, vaccination, vaccination."

The testimony of people who work in hospitals is that 90 percent of people who are unvaccinated are in intensive care units.

"Therefore, the decision is to introduce COVID passes for all indoor catering facilities from 10 p.m., starting from Saturday," Prime Minister Brnabić confirmed. The inspection services are ready, in addition, the communal police will control the application of the measures and control the observance of the same.

Prime Minister explained that COVID passes do not only mean that a complete vaccination has been performed.

"COVID passes are not just vaccines certificates. They are also: confirmation of the second or third dose of the vaccine that is not older than 7 months. If you received the second dose and did not receive the third after 7 months, you will not have a valid COVID certificate, negative PCR test not older than 72 hours. Also, a negative, antigen test, not older than 48 hours, a certificate that you have contracted COVID and get over it in the previous 210 days. For foreigners, there is a valid EU digital COVID certificate", she explained.

You can also have a digital certificate in paper form, COVID-coordinator will scan the QR code.

"If we show this kind of skepticism and suspicions towards vaccines, it is not just a problem for COVID patients. It will be an increasing problem for society because the diseases that have been eradicated will return to us. We are talking about vaccination in general," Brnabic said.

"I ask people to respect the current measures for themselves and their loved ones." She also answered the question whether it was considered to reduce the period for the 3rd dose from 6 to 5 months. "The National Immunization Body has another meeting today, so it will give clear instructions and decisions."

Brnabic said that there will certainly be a problem in implementation in smaller communities.

"There aren't that many catering facilities there, so we will be able to control them, everyone will work. But, people, this is not a police state, you can't control everyone. If someone says you have to have a police state to respect the measures, then this is to no avail. How would you control that police state tomorrow when there is no coronavirus" she said.

"I appeal to personal responsibility, solidarity," she added.

Medical part of Crisis Staff still requests lockdown

"What we didn't have before is the solution for COVID, today we have it - these are vaccines. I feel so helpless that I want to cry, how easy it is to save every life. Just get vaccinated," Brnabić said.

She appealed to the citizens that respecting the measures is actually showing responsibility towards oneself and your beloved ones.

"If someone wants to play with this and deceive the state, he did not deceive the state and the Crisis Staff, he deceived himself, his parents, grandparents. Someone will lose his life because of that. Here, the state is willing to do more than it is obliged to", Prime Minister explains.

"This is not the only measure. There is another measure. There is an obligation for wearing masks indoors and outdoors when you can't keep your distance. This is one of the measures, and the most important is vaccination," she said.

Medical part of the Crisis Staff proposed lockdown. "Everything they proposed at the last Crisis Staff, they repeated now. They don't have a consensus among themselves either, it's a difficult decision."

She also advised that all those who received two doses should receive the third, booster dose of the vaccine.

"The third booster dose has been approved in the world. It absolutely gives an effect, I think it was a clear message. The first dose, the third dose. It is the only safe and true response to a pandemic. I think it is important that those who have been vaccinated seven months ago receive a third booster dose”, she explained.