A crown on their head… – Article by Eleni Mavrou, AKEL Political Bureau member
9th May 2021, ‘Haravgi’ newspaper
Before the rooster crows, “CoronaPass” became “SafePass” or as the saying goes “Manolios has changed and put his clothes the other way around” even if…he hasn’t changed. The government ruling forces think that by engaging in communication tricks they can cover up their incompetence because what else other than incompetence does resorting to a controversial measure show when all the scientists say that our health and freedom are shielded by two things: substantial support towards public hospitals and the acceleration of vaccinations.
But even on these two issues, the government ruling forces have made a mess of it.
They left public hospitals at the mercy of their ideological concepts/obsessions and imposed cuts on “excess spending” and when the public hospitals were brought on their knees, they forced us in our homes again through lockdowns, admitting that “the goal was to gain time”. What have they been doing for more than a year now? They were looking for places to put beds at the last minute (they even transported patients with coronavirus to First Aid services) – as if that was enough when we have shortages of staff, respirators and even supplies too.
The vaccination program is moving at a snail’s pace. They are celebrating the fact that that by the end of June the first dose of the vaccine will cover at least 65% of the population (34.1% until the day before yesterday) “forgetting” to mention that you gain immunity at least 1-2 weeks after the completion of the vaccinations, for that reason the “measure” of our optimism must start from the 10.8% of citizens who have actually completed their vaccination program.
Let alone the government’s vaccination portal which, if nothing else, in the sorrow state of affairs that plagues us, gave rise to laughter and is the subject of jokes.
A few words about the notorious “CoronaPass” or “SafePass” or whatever it will subsequently be called.
I will not dwell on issues of constitutionality, nor on matters of its implementation. I sincerely doubt whether the state can oversee its implementation. Nor will I even refer to the contradictions of the repeated clarifications made by the Ministry of Health (for example, to go to work without a rapid test you must have been vaccinated with both doses and for 14 days to have passed, but the “CoronaPass” is valid 3 weeks after the 1st dose of the vaccine). Nor will I even refer to the suspicions that in the minds of many people – not unjustifiably – that once again some will speculate/profit – either by multiplying the controversial rapid tests that have already cost more than 30 million euros or by the mobile application which it is said has already been prepared by a private company…
The main thing is that it acts as a coercive measure on citizens to get vaccinated.
Let’s be clear: Vaccinations have been saving lives for decades and I believe that this is the only way to overcome this pandemic.
But the deputy government spokesman cannot tell us that such a measure “is the passport that will lead us safely to our complete freedom.”
Instead of trying to convince people and facilitate them (because there are many people who haven’t been vaccinated yet not because of choice, but because of the incompetence of the state, because of “mad rush” procedures and a vaccination portal that opens and closes with the blink of an eye), the government ruling forces have decided that only those citizens who have been vaccinated can move around freely.
These are sloppy, contradictory and disproportionate measures. And then they tell us that we are obsessed by an oppositionist zeal!
