Editorial Ta Nea: Keys

At the beginning of the pandemic the government and citizens made an honest agreement – the former would do everything in its power to save as many lives as possible and the latter would implement the necessary protective measures in order to make things easier.

Nearly one year has gone by since then and fatigue is logical and justified, but unfortunately the coronavirus is not interested in the psychology of its victims.

A small, ostensibly not dangerous act of carelessness could further burden the National Health System. Major misdeeds such as large parties and wedding banquets are effectively almost criminal.

It is now common knowledge that we citizens are not keeping our side of the bargain, which is our duty not so much to the government as to friends, family, and strangers who are mourning the loss of their loved ones.

The cynical aspect of the need to follow public health restrictions is that the more faithfully we do so, the sooner we can press the restart button.

A return to normalcy, which will be gradual, is important for the country’s economy, which will face grave challenges in the coming period.

In fact, we hold the keys to our freedom in our own hands. The decisions we make every day, combined with the slow but steady vaccination rollout, is the decisive factor in managing the pandemic.

Constant police checks, as exhaustive as they may be, are not enough on their own.

Personal free will and responsibility cannot be replaced by monitoring.