“The pandemic isn’t hitting one local government area and bypassing the next, and it doesn’t make any distinction between people’s ages or worldviews: it touches on us all and is everyone’s concern,” remarked President Alar Karis in a meeting with Mayor of Tallinn Mihhail Kõlvart. “Each and every one of us can do something to stop the spread of the virus.”
President Karis called on politicians to speak to their constituents. “The message is simple – the more parents and grandparents there are who are vaccinated, the more youngsters there are who are vaccinated, the more options there are for keeping society open, as well as for continuing with ordinary teaching and learning in schools,” he said.
The head of state pointed out that the number of people dying in Estonian hospitals every two to three days because of coronavirus at present is the same as the total number of those who died as a result of violent crimes in 2020. “Medical staff are working at the absolute limits of human ability and the pressure on hospitals is only increasing, which means that scheduled operations are being postponed for those who still need the treatment and tests previously agreed on,” he said.
President Karis and Mayor Kõlvart discussed the deepening pandemic fatigue in society, which has led to malicious calls to besiege the likes of medical workers and retail staff.
“Malice is never a good adviser, particularly in a crisis,” President Karis said. “What we need is for everyone to care about themselves and their fellow citizens, and to support all of those who are working to keep society functioning. Get vaccinated. Wear a mask in public places. Scale back your interactions with others. Postpone parties. And be mindful of yourself and others.”
Mayor Kõlvart says he agrees with President Karis that stigmatising others and seeking out enemies will get us nowhere. “There’s no one-size-fits-all approach, so we have to implement a range of options,” he said. “Doing what you can to prevent something is always better than having to deal with its consequences. To my mind, widespread vaccination, as the scientific approach to getting the better of coronavirus, is the right approach.”
The head of state underscored the importance of close and trusted cooperation between local governments and the central government, including in establishing restrictions, and in parliamentary parties working together to overcome the crisis.
“Now is not the time to be looking for someone to blame, but to be coming together to find solutions,” he cautioned. “It’s a time for setting examples, which means that those to whom people in Estonia look must themselves demonstrate that they appreciate the importance of vaccination and elementary precautionary measures.”
