Ossinovski: Strategic plan needed to overcome crisis

Former chairman of the Social Democratic Party Jevgeni Ossinovski recognized the government and authorities for their work during the first stage of the coronavirus crisis.
Speaking on ETV current affairs show "Esimene stuudio", Ossinovski said that the Estonian authorities should now reach an agreement on how to get through the corona crisis.
"If we want to do this as quickly as possible we can do it epidemiologically. Then we would need more systematic, harsher approach for a short period of time. Or maybe we want to suffer through it, which has its advantages but would certainly cost more lives," Ossinovski said.
A weakness of the restrictions imposed during the current emergency situation is that there is no strategic long-term solution, Ossinovski said, adding that none of the measures taken have been necessarily wrong and that Estonia has done well on both political and official level during the first stage of fighting the virus.
"In the second stage, the question is for how long are we prepared to live through it. Strategically, I support agreeing on solving this health crisis in a month. This would mean stronger short-term measures. This would not see - it is my opinion, but must certainly be coordinated with specialists, experts - everyone at home at all times. Certainly it would mean imposing more restrictions on workplaces. Then it will be possible to normalize it," Ossinovski said.
"Right now we declared an emergency situation with some restrictions, then two weeks later the situation worsened and more restrictions were imposed. It is likely there will be more. But when will all of this end - nobody can answer as there is no such plan," he added.
The lifting of restrictions implemented for the duration of the emergency situation will be based not on economic but rather health-based logic, and as there is currently no certainty regarding how the coronavirus will continue to spread, no strategy exists for exiting the standstill either, said Ministry of Economic Affairs and Infrastructure Deputy Secretary General for Economic Development Viljar Lubi on Monday.
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Editor: Anders Nõmm