"Serbia is preparing for the worst case scenario"

"Serbia is preparing for the worst case scenario"

He told this to the reporters after a meeting with COVID hospital directors.

"Additional quantities of the vaccine against the seasonal flu are arriving in Serbia, new 50.000 doses," Loncar said.

After the meeting with the directors of COVID hospitals, he said that Arena received first COVID patients yesterday afternoon and that there are currently about 15 patients there.

The capacity of COVID hospitals has exceeded 60%, so we have opened the Arena, said Lončar and added that patients with a lighter clinical picture from the hospitals "Dragiša Mišović", KBC Karaburma, Bežanijska kosa and the Infectious Diseases Clinic will be transferred to the Arena.

He reminds that the necessary gases have been distributed in the arena, and that "even the most difficult patients will be able to be treated in an emergency."

Lončar appealed to all citizens to report to the ambulance in time as soon as the first symptoms appear. As he said, COVID hospitals in Batajnica and Krusevac are also being prepared, with 1.000 places each, in which more than 1.000 health and non-medical workers will work.

"We are preparing for the worst case scenario, we are following what is happening in the region and Europe, I think we have relaxed more than we should have. Serbia still has a good result but everything can change if the measures are not respected. I appeal to all citizens not to play with measures and take them lightly, because we have to think about patients who suffer from other diseases as well," Loncar said.

He stated that each individual should take care of what is best for his health and how to protect himself from the coronavirus.

Additional amounts of vaccines arrived to Serbia

In the next day or two, additional quantities of 50.000 doses of imported vaccine against seasonal flu will arrive in health centers in Serbia, says the Minister of Health, Zlatibor Ločar.

After the meeting with the directors of the COVID hospitals, he told the journalists that there are currently Torlak's vaccines against the seasonal flu in the health centers and that they are absolutely safe. They can be received by citizens aged 18 to 65.

"Our trucks are going for additional quantities today, that is an additional 50.000 doses that should arrive in the next day or two. After that, additional quantities will arrive every few days," Loncar said.

He advises citizens who want to protect themselves from the flu to enroll in the competent health center submitting their consent that they want to be vaccinated and will be invited as soon as the vaccine arrives.

"In the next day, we expect two additional 50.000 doses to be distributed in all health centers in Serbia. We are also receiving additional quantities of Torlak's vaccine," the minister said.

He stated that citizens will be able to choose whether they will receive Torlak's or the imported vaccine.

"There are a lot of people who insist on Torlak's vaccine. We have a record vaccination coverage and that is a good precondition for seasonal viruses (such as the flu) not to intersect with the coronavirus," the minister concluded.