Our View: Covid has eliminated government accountability

The scientific team met on Tuesday evening to discuss the epidemiological picture and prepared its advice regarding the easing of the restrictions. On Wednesday morning they discussed the situation with President Anastasiades and they subsequently briefed the party leaders who joined them at the presidential palace.

The meeting was followed by a didactic statement by the government spokesman Kyriakos Kousios who said: “March is a critical month. We must all behave responsibly so we can completely relax the measures, without any risk for the supreme and greatest thing we have, health and life. We must all believe in this prospect, cooperate and for certain there will be better days very soon.”

It is the familiar argument that infantilises citizens. If the citizens behave themselves and cooperate, our good government would gradually give them back some of the liberties it has taken away from them through its rule by decree. According to Kousios the good epidemiological picture offers the prospect of the “measures soon to be relaxed gradually.” How gradually, only the government and its scientific team can decide. Neither citizens nor parliaments are allowed a say in this matter.

Having discussed the epidemiological picture and heard the advice of the scientific team, the council of ministers will today decide relaxing some measures. According to reports, gyms, dance schools and sports facilities will reopen as will be nature trails (which were closed in order to protect public health while malls and all shops were open), but restaurants and cafes might have to wait until the middle of March to reopen.

Health minister Constantinos Ioannou said, however, that the irrational and repressive measure of the SMS, with the limit of two authorised exits from home per day will remain in place until at least March 15. Why? There is not one good reason for keeping this repressive measure in force, but Ioannou, having become accustomed to ruling by decree, like a minister of an authoritarian regime has not deemed it necessary to explain or justify it. Covid has also eliminated government accountability.

The measure, in force only in Greece and Cyprus, does not protect public health or restrict the spread of the virus because people are out regardless, going to work and visiting friends for as long as they like. There is no specific limit to how long a shopping outing or a visit to a friend should last. The state SMS says ‘for a reasonable amount of time,’ which means as long as someone likes. So why does Ioannou want to keep this resoundingly ineffective measure in place. Is it because he wants the state to frighten people and crush their spirit or is it just a mindless exhibition of power to keep us in our place?

We hope Ioannou does not have his way and there will be colleagues in the council of ministers that will vote against the continuation of this repressive measure that does not protect public health but simply gives police an excuse to harass people on the street.