The Government promises coordination and speed to stop the omicron

When the worst of the pandemic seemed to have passed, now a new variant threatens the world, the one that the World Health Organization (WHO) has baptized with the Greek letter omicron and that it recognizes as “worrying”. The European Union and its member states are now trying to shield themselves to stop the scourge of a coronavirus that does not give up and avoid a Christmas of more infections and deaths. Concern about the growing number of cases and the new lineage detected in South Africa has hit foreign ministries around the world and it was picked up this Saturday by the President of the Government, Pedro Sánchez, during his speech at the opening of the 14th Autonomous Congress of the PSOE of Castilla y León, which runs until this Sunday in Burgos.

“Now that we are seeing the cumulative incidence of COVID rise, I just want to convey the following to the Spanish. The Government of Spain works with the maximum coordination with the Member States and with the European Commission. We work for make decisions with the greatest of speed“, he assured, without directly citing the new variant. The Government will restrict from Tuesday the flights from South Africa and Botswana to isolate itself from the omicron, which has triggered few cases for the moment (none of them in Spain) but that could be more infectious disease and reduce the effectiveness of immunization. the new metamorphosis of the virus, before which the Government, as has happened in Brussels and in the rest of the community capitals, has mobilized. “There is a lot of caution, logically”, complete health sources, “it is necessary to sequence, see how vaccines work & mldr; “.

The minister herself, Carolina Darias, announced on Friday the flight restriction after learning of the European Commission’s proposal to stop air traffic from southern Africa in order to stop the expansion of the variant across Europe. But for now This Saturday the BOE already publishes a resolution of the General Directorate of Public Health for which it imposes negative test for SARS-CoV-2 to all travelers coming from high risk countries – currently Botswana, Swaziland, Lesotho, Mozambique, Namibia, South Africa and Zimbabwe – carried out no more than 72 hours before admission, regardless of whether they have been vaccinated or have previously suffered from the disease.

Sánchez added that, “in the meantime,” while more decisions are made in a coordinated manner with the EU and with the communities, we must first ask citizens for “responsibility.” “That we do what we have been doing throughout this time of pandemic: responsibility and solidarity to get vaccinated, to use the mask and thus defend our own health and the health of our compatriots. That is what we have to continue doing during all these months, “said the president, to the applause of the plenary.

“Successful vaccination”

Vaccination and mask It is the pair that the Executive always repeats each time he is asked if he considers it necessary to implement new measures, such as the extension of the covid passport to access hospitality and leisure venues, a primer that some communities, such as Catalonia, already require. The Government has argued that the situation in Spain, even with infections on the rise, is not comparable to that of other European countries, because vaccination coverage –with complete regimen, 79.2% of Spaniards and 89.2% of the target population – is much higher.

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The president took breast of that 89% of those immunized and how the Government complied with his promise to have 70% of citizens with the double prick before the end of summer. The “vaccination success“,” envied all over the world “, is due, he recalled, to the strength and universality of the welfare state, the effort of health professionals and the” commitment “of the Spanish.” For me it is not that it is a pride to be President of the Government of Spain, it is a pride to be Spanish, “he added.

Sánchez also valued the recovery of the figure of 20 million people employed, which had not reached Spain since before the financial crisis of 2008.