PM urges Greeks to persevere with coronavirus measures
During an online conference call on the recent donation of 18 ICU beds by the bicentennial committee “Greece 2021,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis appealed to citizens to stay the course and continue abiding by coronavirus containment measures.
Indicating the possibilty of a new lockdown extension, the prime minister stressed that he is aware of the tremendous difficulties faced by many, but said that “we must make one more push, especially for the next two weeks, so we can return to a state of normalcy not only for the economy and businesses but also for educational institutions.”
He stated his belief that we are near the end of the pandemic. “We are in the final stretch, but how fast we get there will depend on the careful steps we take now,” he said. He emphasised that collective responsibility in conforming to the measures will be critical in re-opening the economy and ensuring it stays open.
When the time comes to gradually re-open the country, the government will provide “intelligent solutions and seek a new mutually beneficial agreement of trust with Greece’s citizens,” the prime minister added.
He also referred to the country’s vaccination efforts, declaring that by the end of the week over one million Greeks will have been vaccinated. He acknowledged the strain on the national health system but stated his belief that it has managed the crisis very competently and stressed that “compared to the evidence available to us from other countries, Greece continues to defend itself very successfully to the third wave of coronavirus.”
“On the anniversary of the pandemic’s outbreak, I think we must all work together to ensure that it is the only year of the pandemic,” Mitsotakis said.
