The Councillor for Social Affairs and Sports, Fina Santiago, affirmed last Wednesday that if instead of elderly people, children and young people were dying from Coronavirus “we would not be debating the obligatory nature of the vaccine”.
At a press conference to present projects in the field of social services to be financed with European funds, Santiago insisted, stressing that this is a personal opinion that is not intended to reflect the position of the Consell de Govern, that if the mortality rate had been among the younger population “the dichotomy between the economy and health would not have occurred”.
Although the councillor has stressed on several occasions that this is a personal opinion, she has defended the Government’s position of not forcing vaccination – legally it cannot do so – but of encouraging it in every possible way.
In this sense, she defended the fact that in order to gain access to gyms and take part in training sessions and sports competitions from September onwards, vaccination or a negative screening test will be required. “We are not forcing, but we are giving alternatives,” she said.
Santiago pointed out that making vaccination compulsory depends on the Spanish government and that the regional government is encouraging it “as much as possible“.
Thus, she stressed that the Govern has been one of the first executives to open vaccination to the entire population – since Wednesday is possible to get vaccinated without an appointment- and also to require it to enter the residences of the elderly with the alternative of a negative test.