Vlieghe: “There is work to be done to make this summer plan as safe as possible …

“For me and my colleagues, the question remains, Is this the right time and is it wise for me to do so much at the same time?” Erica Fleiji replied after the advisory committee at the world today.

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“Sometimes I play a spoiler, but that’s exactly how it is. We have a number of concerns, including some unknowns like the Indian variety, which is advancing very quickly in different places. We warn about things you don’t know very well,” said the Gems boss. Before the advisory committee, the Shura Council had these concerns Also express in a message.

The fact that there are also conditions associated with declared relaxation, such as an intensive care occupancy rate of less than 500, is a good safety net, according to Fleg. “But the same also remains with great relaxation, and I have questions about that. If a lot of beds are taken in August, does this mean that the virus is still going well, and then we will organize festivals? We are only the most interested in group events: people get together.” From different regions together, they have close and long-term contact, often several days apart … There is still work to be done to make this summer plan as safe as possible. “

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According to her, there is not much difference that a large portion of the population will be vaccinated by then. I am a staunch advocate of vaccination, but it is not 100% preventive to any contagious disease. Certainly for this new virus, which is highly contagious and which the immune system is not yet accustomed to, there are still many blind spots, “says Fleiji.

According to her, many people in the sector were also favoring many smaller events. “You have to balance the risks. If something goes wrong and an event becomes a mass distribution problem, you can reduce it. But the more people you put together, the greater the risk. It seems to me as if someone has been sick in bed for a long time and is allowed to come back.” Home, would you let him walk first or do you get him to train right away for a marathon?

Flagg calls it a “safety thunderbolt” that should be able to provide proof of vaccination or a negative test at festivals, but she points out that people who have been vaccinated are still able to transmit viruses. Finally, she assures that we will also be traveling again in the summer, and thus perhaps bring other variants home.

We are facing a pandemic that is not moving in the right direction worldwide. It is burning in India and spreading to a lot of Asian countries, countries that seem to be well under control so far. Fleiji added: “I do not want to be doomed to failure, but we have to open our eyes to what is happening outside Europe.”