Skopje, 20 September 2021 (MIA) – Prime Minister Zoran Zaev and opposition leader Hristijan Mickoski at Monday’s TV debate aired on Kanal 5 urged people to get vaccinated in great number. “Now that there are enough vaccines, we, politicians, should all call for mass vaccination to protect public health – it’s responsible politics. It is the only way to beat the pandemic, which has claimed many lives,” Zaev said. The government and the relevant authorities, he said, are doing their best to manage the Covid crisis with the capacities at disposal. A majority of the fatalities, which is nearing 6,500, had at least two pre-existing conditions, according to him. Zaev rejected any accusation of the authorities taking commissions when procuring COVID-19 vaccines. “We did the best we can to provide vaccines as soon as possible, to protect health workers,” he insisted. The PM said the authorities always listened to experts when deciding about introducing COVID-19 restrictions. Zaev said restrictions were eased this summer, especially those involving weddings, because the number of infections plummeted. “I support measures that will boost vaccination rate,” he stated. According to VMRO-DPMNE leader Mickoski, the country is “on the bottom for mismanaging the crisis and on the top regarding the death toll.” He said the government had accepted the measures proposed by the opposition to tackle the crisis “too late.” “We warned that the Delta variant would spread causing a new wave. Unfortunately, the authorities didn’t listen,” Mickoski said. The opposition leader called everyone who “wants to be immunized to go and get vaccinated and all the rest have the right to choice.” Mickoski said he would receive the second vaccine dose this Wednesday.