Opposition demands session over Covid pass mandate

Ljubljana – The opposition Alenka Bratušek Party (SAB) has filed a request for a session of the parliamentary Health Committee to discuss the Covid pass requirement for virtually all activities and services that entered into force yesterday. The party opposes the requirement being mandatory for access to health services, public transport and petrol stations.

According to SAB secretary general Jernej Pavlič, these are the basic services that one cannot live without. The SAB advocates for public health regardless of one’s social status, income or opinion on the Covid-19 vaccine.

“Access to a doctor must be available without the recovered, vaccinated or tested (PCT) requirement,” he said, adding that free tests should be available before entry into community health centres and other health institutions.

The party will now seek support to its proposals from all deputy groups.

The head of the Marjan Šarec List (LMŠ) deputy group, Brane Golubović, called on the government to immediately change the current rules to allow all children and youth unlimited access to medical services.

He said that medical check-ups at the primary level had been guaranteed to insured persons since birth and were crucial for early discovery of disease and developmental disorders.

“Despite awareness that these programmes are important for people preventive programmes have been neglected during the epidemic,” he said.

Golubovič also pointed to the fact that under the new rules, parents accompanying a child under 15 to a doctor do not need to meet the PCT requirement, while a child over 12 years old does.

He also noted that a negative test in self-testing does not count for meeting the PCT requirement, which he said could lead to person delaying a visit to the doctor.

The LMŠ called on the government to reintroduce free testing for all.

Meanwhile, the equal opportunities ombudsman called on the government today to change the Covid pass requirement rules to have people who want to pick up the basic life necessities at charities exempt from the rule.

The latest survey by the National Institute of Public Health (NIJZ) carried out among over 1,000 adults at the end of August shows most respondents (56%) opposing the restrictions in place at the time. More than 60% of them have already been vaccinated and more than 40% said all activities and services should be accessible to all without the PCT requirement.

The post Opposition demands session over Covid pass mandate appeared first on Slovenia Times.