Gov’t, SYRIZA cross swords over health crisis response

The government and main opposition SYRIZA traded barbs Tuesday over the former’s crisis management and response to the pandemic.

In a statement, SYRIZA claimed that the government is simply not in touch with the situation on the ground and urged it stop “pulling our leg” and make PCR and rapid tests free of charge, “as is the case in almost every European country.”

“They have no contact with reality… about the financial inability of households to cope,” it said, adding that the reduction in test costs announced Tuesday was insufficient.

Government Spokesman Yiannis Oikonomou pushed back against the criticism, saying the state has been doing everything in its power to facilitate the public’s access to diagnostic tests.

“We have provided tens of millions of free tests for citizens. Free laboratory tests and rapid tests are being performed across the country,” he stressed.