Hungarian healthcare system

Opposition pledges to cut incredibly long healthcare waiting lists

Vaccine-coronavirus
Opposition parties on Wednesday pledged to set up an independent health-care ministry, review the status of health-care employees and cut waiting lists should the opposition come to power after the general election this spring.
 
Zoltán Komáromi of the Democratic Coalition (DK) told an online press conference that the coronavirus pandemic had shown “what the government did to the health-care system in the past 11 years.” The number of fatalities is expected to reach 40,000 by the end of the year, he said.
 
The number of tests carried out on Tuesday was 15,500, “outrageously low”,  
 
and 20 percent was positive, “an extremely weak performance in an international comparison”, he said.
 
Jobbik lawmaker László György Lukács said that Hungary’s Covid-related mortality rate in the third wave of the pandemic had been among the highest. He said the government had failed to prepare for the third wave and changed the status of health-care workers mid-pandemic, so many were prompted to leave their jobs.
 
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Lukács said that if the united opposition wins next spring’s election, it will restore the public servant status of health-care employees.
 
Wages will be further hiked, and they will set up an independent health-care ministry to organise the sector,
 
he said.
 
Gábor Havasi of the Momentum Movement noted that Hungarians spent increasing amounts on private health care. Meanwhile, the country leads the EU mortality charts on cancer-related deaths, he said. If it comes to power, the opposition will reorganise the sector to increase effectiveness and cut waiting lists, and boost prevention and early detection methods to improve the chances of cancer patients, he said.
 
Financing should be adjusted to the “real costs of examinations and interventions” and wages should provide incentives for performance,
 
he said.
Vaccine-coronavirus
Read alsoOpposition pledges to cut incredibly long healthcare waiting lists

The Omicron variant spreads much quicker than the government says!

Coronavirus Hungary

In the days around Christmas, the new variant spread very quickly in Hungary, according to the biggest private lab in the country. They analysed the positive samples and measured the frequency of the Omicron variant 60 pc in them. The Neumann Labs. reported on 22 December that the new variant is only present in 25 pc of the new COVID-positive samples. That was already a higher rate than the government communicated before. The administration talked about 15 patients having the Omicron variant then.

There is no official data about the spread of the Omicron variant

According to telex.hu, experts already said before Christmas that the number of patients infected by the new variant was higher than the official communication reported. On 23 December, officials said that the number of such patients tripled. Interestingly, on the official coronavirus website, koronavirus.gov.hu, the top news is still about the tax refund for families raising children. Below, there is the Christmas message of the prime minister, but there is no updated news or detailed report about the spread of the Omicron variant.

Therefore, experts can only rely on data provided by private labs. 

Coronavirus Hungary
Treating a patient in a Hungarian hospital. Photo: MTI/Zoltán Balogh

Less severe symptoms but much more patients

Miklós Nyíri, CEO of Neumann Labs., said in the ATV that the number of patients having the new variant is rising swiftly. They analysed COVID-positive samples to discover how many of them were caused by the Omicron. “Regarding the last hundred of the analysed samples, the rate of Omicron reached 60 pc” – he said.

The sample and the result of their research is probably not representative. But experts believe the new variant is already dominant in Hungary. 

Meanwhile, the Hungarian News Agency said today that only 68 cases of the Omicron variant have been officially detected in Hungary.

The spread speed and virulence of the Omicron is higher than the other variants. Therefore, it is expected to become the world’s dominant variant soon. Meanwhile, it seems that it causes less severe symptoms. However, since it can infect much more people, it might push the country’s healthcare system behind its operability limit.

 

Koronavírus Coronavirus Vaccine Vakcina Ampulla Ampoule
Read alsoHow effective are vaccines really in Hungary? – NEW DETAILS!

Almost 40 thousand Hungarians died in COVID

Coronavirus Hungary hospital
Altogether 115 patients died of a Covid-related illness during the past 24 hours, while 3,005 new coronavirus infections were registered, koronavirus.gov.hu said on Wednesday.
 
So far 6,257,771 people have received a first jab, while 5,973,555 have been fully vaccinated. Fully 3,161,930 Hungarians have received a booster jab.
 
So far 68 cases of the Omicron variant have been officially detected in Hungary.
 
The number of active infections stands at 113,057, while hospitals are treating 3,854 Covid-19 patients, 357 of whom need respiratory assistance.
 
 
Since the first outbreak, 1,249,694 COVID infections have been registered, while
 
the number of fatalities has risen to 39,009.
 
Fully 1,097,628 people have made a recovery.
Hungarian doctor issued fake vaccination certificates
Read alsoCORRUPTION – Hungarian doctor issued fake vaccination certificates

Government: Hungary’s healthcare system prepared for potential next wave

Csaba-Dömötör government
Hungary’s healthcare system is prepared to handle a potential next wave of the coronavirus pandemic, and there are sufficient quantities of vaccines available, a government official said on Tuesday.
 
Csaba Dömötör, parliamentary secretary of the Prime Minister’s Office, told public news channel M1 that developments connected to the new Omicron variant were constantly being monitored. Epidemic protection measures are determined by circumstances such as whether enough protective equipment is available and health-care capacities.
 
Hospital capacity, he said, was now sufficient and there were significant reserves, too.
 
Only vaccination, however, offered an effective solution in combatting the epidemic, he added.
 
 
Dömötör welcomed that over 6 million Hungarians have been vaccinated, including over
 
3 million who have received their booster shots.
 
Future restrictions can be avoided if the number of vaccinated further increases, he said.
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Read alsoDid the Hungarian authorities take risks with the Sputnik V vaccine?

Fourth wave downhill in Hungary!

Coronavirus Hungary
Altogether 151 patients died of a Covid-related illness during the past 24 hours, while 1,370 new coronavirus infections were registered, koronavirus.gov.hu said on Tuesday.
 
So far 6,252,653 people have received a first jab, while 5,968,354 have been fully vaccinated. Altogether 3,153,470 Hungarians have received a booster jab.
 
The number of active infections stands at 116,778, while
 
hospitals are treating 4,019 Covid-19 patients, 374 of whom need respiratory assistance.
 
 
Since the first outbreak, 1,246,689 infections have been registered, while the number of fatalities has risen to 38,894. Fully 1,091,017 people have made a recovery.
 
There are 15,775 people in official quarantine, while the number of tests taken stands at 9,119,505.
Hungary coronavirus video
Read alsoHungarian Covid ward: it is a stressful job, vaccinate yourself! – VIDEO

Hungarian Covid ward: it is a stressful job, vaccinate yourself! – VIDEO

Hungary coronavirus video

The government shared a video that included a message from employees working at a Hungarian Covid ward. In the approximately 1.5-minute video, employees complain that working with coronavirus patients is stressful. They ask everyone to fight against the epidemic by taking the jab.

Christmas message from the Covid ward

The Hungarian government shared a video message from Covid employees on Facebook. In the 1.5-minute video, the hospital staff talks about their hardships of working at the Covid ward.

Working in the intensive care unit where coronavirus patients are being treated is extremely stressful, not only physically but also mentally. 

However, the workers do not give up in spite of all the difficulties and fatigue. Among other things, adrenaline helps them a lot. In the video, one of the hospital employees also mentions that the pandemic is not going to go away on its own . Therefore, everyone has to do something to make the pandemic disappear.

The coronavirus is like a Russian roulette, you cannot know what it will cause.

Erika Kálmán, an ICU nurse, asked everyone to get the vaccine in the Christmas message. According to the latest data, the Omicron variant has been also spreading in Hungary, writes telex.hu. More than 38,000 people died in Hungary because of the coronavirus. Secretary of State István György declared on Sunday that the first coronavirus vaccine had been administered in Hungary exactly a year ago. Additional vaccination campaigns may follow in January.

Read more: How effective are vaccines really in Hungary? — NEW DETAILS!

Covid Doctor of the Year

Richard Rokszin, Covid Doctor of the Year, was also featured earlier in a video on the government’s Facebook page. Many people remember the video footage made in Italy at the beginning of the pandemic. After the shocking series of images, many people wanted to see what was happening in the Hungarian hospitals. However, this was not possible until now.

The argument of the media was that if people saw the actual situation, they would probably take the restrictions more seriously, and thus more people would go for the vaccine, index.hu writes. However, Richard Rokszin does not agree with them.

“It is an intolerable category for the average person,”

Rokszin described his daily struggles. “It’s better not to publish videos that show what’s going on in the Covid wards. It’s an intolerable category for the average person, and it’s often a great mental burden even for professionals. If we did not talk to each other when we left the infected area, we would most certainly develop some serious mental issues, from burnout to depression.”

Read more: COVID-19 deaths continue to rise in Hungary over the Christmas weekend

HR Minister thanks Hungarian health-care workers for their tireless work

Coronavirus Koronavírus Healthcare Worker

Human Resources Minister Miklós Kásler on Friday greeted Hungary’s health-care workers on the occasion of Christmas, thanking them for their efforts in saving lives.

“You save lives and work to ease the pain of those in need with patience and humility,” Kásler said in a video published on the government’s Facebook page.

read also: Could schools close due to mandatory vaccination for teachers?

“You apply your expertise to curing people, you are the first responders to those in trouble and work to ensure the healthy development of newborns.”

Kásler said that since 2010 the government has been devoting special attention to ensuring that health-care workers are given the respect and pay they deserve. He noted that in January this year the health-care sector had seen the most extensive pay rises in decades.

read also: Another 46 cases of omicron variant identified in Hungary!

Thanks to this measure, doctors on average will see their wages rise 2.5-fold by 2023, he said, adding that the wages of skilled health-care workers will rise by 30 percent from Jan. 1 next year.

The minister thanked health-care workers for continuing to work during Christmas and wished them a peaceful holiday and success in the new year.

Hungarian doctor issued fake vaccination certificates
Read alsoCORRUPTION – Hungarian doctor issued fake vaccination certificates

CORRUPTION – Hungarian doctor issued fake vaccination certificates

Hungarian doctor issued fake vaccination certificates

In one of our previous articles, we have reported that more and more people were trying to obtain fake vaccination certificates to avoid getting the jab in Hungary.

Since the introduction of the epidemiological restrictions, attempts to get away with the regulations have been widely present in the domestic criminal sphere. Recently, even official doctors have begun to take part in these illegal activities, therefore, it has become harder for the authorities to track down the perpetrators. Hence, the number of people illegally acquiring vaccination certificates has also risen.

However, the Hungarian police cracked down on two nurses who sold fake vaccination certificates for more than 90 individuals for a price as low as €134 for a single counterfeit document.

Thanks to a report, the Hungarian police tracked down another trio of criminals selling fake certificates in Budapest. They allegedly had thirteen customers.

Read also: Selling Fake vaccine certificates is a booming business in Hungary – VIDEO

According to Origo, the police have also found a small-scale illegal business run by a doctor. The other members included her assistant and a beautician who worked as a middleman taking care of the supply and finances between the patients and the healthcare workers.

The customers did not even have to go to the doctor’s office; the beautician took their appropriate IDs and dropped them off at the doctor’s office along with the money.

Then, as 24.hu writes, the assistant uploaded their data to the healthcare system and issued the fake vaccination certificates to a total of 13 people, to some for a price as low as HUF 100,000 (EUR 278).

Hungarian doctor issued fake vaccination certificates
Phoro: police.hu

Read also: Virus-denying Hungarian tried to smash ambulance car

As part of the investigation, the Hungarian police department ordered the search of the three women’s home and the doctor’s office. They have confiscated a total of HUF 4, 220, 000 (EUR 11,723) and additional EUR 580, along with electronic devices, blank immunity certificates as well as other medical papers.

The police interrogated the 60-year-old doctor and her 45-year-old assistant as well as the 42-year-old beautician as prime suspects.

The doctor and her assistant are accused of thirteen cases of counterfeiting medical documents and seven cases of accepting bribes, while the beautician is accused of nine cases of assisting the prime suspects misusing medical documents and one case of bribery.

The prime suspects are not detained and can protect themselves freely.

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Read alsoCrazy things people do for a fake vaccine certificate

Another 46 cases of omicron variant identified in Hungary!

coronavirus
Hungary’s National Public Health Centre (NNK) on Thursday said it has identified another 46 cases of the omicron variant of the coronavirus, bringing the total number of cases to 61.
 
The omicron variant is spreading quickly in several European countries and has been found to be more contagious than previous variants, the NNK said on the government website koronavirus.gov.hu. It added, however, that there were conflicting reports of the severity of the variant given the lack of clinical data on it.
 
The NNK urged those who are unvaccinated against Covid to get the jab and those who are vaccinated to also get a booster shot.
 
It noted that those who pre-register for a shot can get inoculated at designated hospital vaccination points even during the holidays, adding that
 
there will be more inoculation drive days in January when people will be able to get the jab without making an appointment.
coronavirus
Read also Another 46 cases of omicron variant identified in Hungary!

Latest COVID-report: better numbers

Coronavirus Hungary
Altogether 139 patients died of a Covid-related illness during the past 24 hours, while 3,359 new coronavirus infections were registered, koronavirus.gov.hu said on Wednesday.
 
So far 6,239,410 people have received a first jab, while 5,951,491 have been fully vaccinated. Altogether 3,124,497 Hungarians have received a booster jab. The number of active infections stands at 135,217, while hospitals are treating 5,159 Covid-19 patients,
 
464 of whom need respiratory assistance.
 
Since the first outbreak, 1,233,744 infections have been registered, while the number of fatalities has risen to 38,167. Fully 1,060,360 people have made a recovery. There are 31,081 people in official quarantine, while the number of tests taken stands at 9,037,023.
 

Meanwhile, the virus and the restrictions hit the economy of Hungary significantly, as well. Despite government communication, the economy still struggles with difficulties. For example, MTI reported that Hungary had a trade deficit for the fourth month in a row in October. The data was confirmed by the Central Statistical Office (KSH) confirmed in a second reading of data on Wednesday.

Exports edged up 0.3 percent year on year to 10.310 billion euros, while imports climbed by 13.4 percent to 10.612 billion euros to give Hungary a trade deficit of 302 million euros.

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Read alsoCould schools close due to mandatory vaccination for teachers?

Hungary the least prepared for the Omicron variant?

Vaccine-coronavirus

Hungary does not take sufficient measures to balk the spread of the virus – the Oxford University says. That means the Omicron variant will spread unstoppably in the country. Thus, the fifth wave can be greater than the fourth caused by the Delta was.

The fourth wave that started in September-October has been peaking in Hungary for weeks – portfolio.hu says. Thankfully, the death curve is on the downslope. However, West Europe prepares now for the Omicron variant. For example, the Dutch government announced today that they would close the country for two weeks. Amsterdam did so despite the high rate of inoculated people in the country.

Physicist Gábor Vattay wrote that the Omicron might cause a severe epidemic in a couple of weeks.

Mr Vattay calculated using the virus spreading trends in Denmark.

Portfolio.hu argues that a lot would depend on what measures a country will introduce to stop the spread of the virus. Oxford University calculated a so-called stringency index to help comparison. According to them, “the index records the strictness of ‘lockdown style’ policies that primarily restrict people’s behaviour. It is calculated using all ordinal containment and closure policy indicators, plus an indicator recording public information campaigns.”

The last time the Hungarian stringency index increased was at the end of November when the government reintroduced obligatory mask-wearing in public transport and closed spaces. Since then,

Hungary’s index has been at 25 pc.

However, this is the second-lowest in Europe, only Sweden “precedes” Hungary. Globally, only some African countries have fewer or less strict measures.

Portfolio.hu says that the government built their strategy on the vaccine. Therefore, they did not introduce strict measures. This is supported by the fact that Hungary leads the proportional cumulative deaths list in the EU. The number of deaths grew significantly even during the fourth wave.

Based on estimates, the variant will be responsible for the deaths of around 10 thousand citizens.

If that is true, the government believes that the third jab will help evade severe symptoms. As a result, the healthcare system will not collapse because of the new variant.

school
Read alsoCould schools close due to mandatory vaccination for teachers?

Could schools close due to mandatory vaccination for teachers?

school

According to a recent coronavirus-related measure which was introduced by the Hungarian government, healthcare workers, teachers and educators have to be vaccinated. If they fail to do so, they have to take a compulsory leave of absence otherwise their work will be suspended. Trade unions have been organising strikes against mandatory vaccination for teachers. 

Compulsory vaccination for employees in education

According to Telex, the initial deadline to abide by this new regulation was 15 December, but the government has extended this period. Unvaccinated teachers and employees working in education have been warned this Monday to take the jab until the 30th of December. Otherwise, they will not be abe to return to work from the 3rd of January.

There are many individulas who do not agree with this measure. Last Saturday, residents in Devecser have organised demonstrations to side by teachers who refuse to take the vaccine. 

Additionally, Telex reports that both the Teachers’ Union (PSZ) and Teacher’s Democratic Union (PDSZ) will organise strikes on the 31st of January to call the Government’s attention to the need to raise teachers’ pay as well as to dismiss the mandatory vaccination measure.

read also: Here are the latest COVID-19 numbers from Hungary – Dec 20, 2021

The unions said that they would likely hold a strike only during the first two lessons of the class schedule, during which children are advised not to attend school, but they would also organise another strike in March that may last for days if necessary.

According to Péter Horváth, the chairman of the National Faculty of Education, it is expected that about 5-6% of teachers will not take the vaccine.

While this number does not seem that high, Index wrote that some schools would not be able to operate from the 3rd of January due to lack of teaching staff.

The leader of the teachers’ unions, Zsuzsa Szabó highlighted that some schools may only provide childcare from January as classes cannot be held when there is a dramatic shortage of specialists.

read also: Omicron to ravage Hungary soon?

Next step: mandatory vaccination for students?

Just a few days ago, the Semmelweis University of Medicine and Health Sciences posted on their Facebook page that students are required to take the booster jab in order to continue their studies.

“As a healthcare student, we come into contact with patients on a daily basis during our internships and volunteer work, so we need to protect not only ourselves and our families, but all Hungarian people to whom we commit to serve with our professional knowledge,” – the statement stressed.

The deadline for taking the booster jab is the 1st of February, Vg reported.

The jab is offered without appointment for all students of the Semmelweis University at any of the three university vaccination points.

Students are exempt from the deadline if:

  • they received their second jabs (or first in the case of single dose vaccines) within 180 days
  • those who recovered from Covid infection less than 3 months ago
  • students who medically prove that they cannot receive the vaccine.
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Read alsoSelling Fake vaccine certificates is a booming business in Hungary – VIDEO

Number of new infections decreased in Hungary

Altogether 154 patients died of a Covid-related illness over the past 24 hours, while 4,977 new coronavirus infections were registered, koronavirus.gov.hu said on Friday.
 
So far 6,208,430 people have received a first jab, while 5,923,284 have been fully vaccinated. Altogether 3,065,350 Hungarians have received a booster jab.
 
The number of active infections stands at 154,511, while
 
hospitals are treating 5,856 Covid-19 patients, 519 of whom need respiratory assistance.
 
Since the first outbreak, 1,218,295 infections have been registered, while the number of fatalities has risen to 37,530. Fully 1,026,254 people have made a recovery.
 
There are 45,852 people in official quarantine, while the number of tests taken stands at 8,947,845.
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Read alsoOmicron to ravage Hungary soon?

Number of deaths, new infections still very high

Coronavirus Hungary
Altogether 144 patients died of a Covid-related illness over the past 24 hours, while 5,298 new coronavirus infections were registered, koronavirus.gov.hu said on Thursday.
 
So far 6,200,040 people have received a first jab, while 5,914,603 have been fully vaccinated. Altogether 3,043,950 Hungarians have received a booster jab. The number of active infections stands at 159,853, while hospitals are treating 6,109 Covid-19 patients, 542 of whom need respiratory assistance.

Since the first outbreak, 1,213,318 infections have been registered, while the number of fatalities has risen to 37,376. Fully 1,016,089 people have made a recovery.
 
There are 45,659 people in official quarantine, while the number of tests taken stands at 8,919,775.
heim pál hospital children
Read alsoTragic! Many children with Covid-19 are in intensive care

Important decision made about pandemic management today!

In view of the current pandemic situation, the government has decided to extend the coronavirus-related state of medical preparedness until June 18, 2022, the human resources ministry said on Thursday.
 
“The prolongation is necessary because the coronavirus pandemic is still prevalent around the world. It is prevalent in Europe and in Hungary, the number of infections is high and the
 
Omicron variant is present in the country,”
 
the ministry said in a statement.
 
The government and the operative board in charge of pandemic response will continue to closely monitor the situation and, if necessary, take additional measures to enhance protection, it said. The state of medical preparedness will allow for swift government response and decisions in the interest of protecting people’s health, the statement added.
heim pál hospital children
Read alsoTragic! Many children with Covid-19 are in intensive care

New Hungarian test to detect all variants + latest COVID news

Coronavirus-test-vaccine

A Hungarian company developed a unique PCR test capable of detecting 99 pc of the known coronavirus variants, including the newest, omicron. Made by Femtonics Ltd, the test is easy to use. Meanwhile, the fourth wave of the pandemic is still raging in Hungary. Check out the latest news and data in the article.

Based on the company’s statement, the test can show the presence of the virus in just 4-10 minutes. Its efficacy is almost 100 pc – index.hu reported. Neuroscientist and practising doctor, Balázs Rózsa, said that one of the benefits of their genetics-based test is it can detect all virus and bacteria variants. The CEO and founder of the company added that the cost of their process is low. Therefore,

it might be capable of revolutionizing lab diagnostics.

Meanwhile, altogether

153 patients died of a Covid-related illness over the past 24 hours,

while 5,506 new coronavirus infections were registered, koronavirus.gov.hu said on Wednesday. So far 6,194,221 people have received a first jab, while 5,906,701 have been fully vaccinated. Altogether 3,028,149 Hungarians have received a booster jab.

The number of active infections stands at 165,202, while hospitals are treating 6,337 Covid-19 patients, 540 of whom need respiratory assistance. Since the first outbreak, 1,208,020 infections have been registered, while the number of fatalities has risen to 37,232. Fully

1,005,586 people have made a recovery.

There are 42,569 people in official quarantine, while the number of tests taken stands at 8,890,023.

Coronavirus hospital
Read alsoHungarian discovery: This can triple the chance of survival for COVID-19 patients

Number of deaths, new infections still high

Coronavirus Hungary
Altogether 166 patients died of a Covid-related illness during the past 24 hours, while 6,884 new coronavirus infections were registered, koronavirus.gov.hu said on Friday.
 
So far 6,176,567 people have received a first jab, while 5,883,873 have been fully vaccinated. Altogether 2,906,959 Hungarians have received a booster jab.

The number of active infections stands at 177,596,
 
while hospitals are treating 6,939 Covid-19 patients, 573 of whom need respiratory assistance.
 
Since the first outbreak, 1,182,922 infections have been registered, while the number of fatalities has risen to 36,429. Fully 968,897 people have made a recovery.

There are 55,544 people in official quarantine, while the number of tests taken stands at 8,768,881.
Coronavirus Hungary
Read also Number of deaths, new infections still high

Omicron: not detected in Hungary, detected in Hungarians!

Coronavirus-omicron-test-Bratislava
So far no samples have indicated the presence of the Omicron variant of the coronavirus in Hungary, Zoltán Kis, a virologist of the National Public Health Centre told public television on Friday.
 
But reports from neighboring countries suggest that the new variant will
 
soon appear in Hungary,
 
too, he added.
 

According to index.hu, the South-African variant was detected in a 34-year-old Hungarian living in Germany. He was among the first cases in the country producing a positive test on December 1. Regarding the symptoms, he said that he was physically weak, coughed every second and had a high fever (39.9 Celsius degrees). He could not sleep and eat though

did not lose his smell and taste. 

He received two Pfizers, but the level of antibodies was probably low by the time he got the omicron variant, he added.

Meanwhile, PM Viktor Orbán said in his morning interview that the vaccine is the only remedy.

The fourth wave of the coronavirus pandemic is at its peak “or maybe a little beyond”

in Hungary, and taking the vaccine is the only way to flatten the curve, he cleared. In an interview with public radio, Orbán said the latest surveys showed a slight decrease in the number of new coronavirus infections, those needing hospital treatment, or ventilators. “There are always losses, but the situation is improving overall,” he said, noting the 166 victims of the disease in the past 24 hours.

“On Thursday, 51,666 people were vaccinated, 42,453 of whom got the third jab,” he said. That is especially important around Christmas, as

holding large Christmas gatherings will depend on “whether we are vaccinated,”

he said.

Featured image: illustration

Read alsoLaw enforcement to collapse because of the mandatory vaccination?