Serbian President Aleksandar Vucic on Thursday presented medals to health care system staff for their contributions to the efforts to combat the coronavirus pandemic.

“These decorations are a small debt and sign that the state knows what you have done and that should not be forgotten,” he said at the presentation of the Gold Medals some of which were awarded posthumously. He said that all the recipients of the medals as well as the families of the posthumously awarded recipients are obliged to set an example to others. “You no longer have the right to relax in cafes or restaurants or anywhere else because you are the holders of Serbia’s top decorations,” he told the ceremony.

The medals were presented to doctors and nurses at the Cacak General Hospital, Clinical Center Nis and Niska Banja Rehabilitation and Treatment Institute. Posthumous medals were presented to the families of doctors from Sremska Mitrovica, Negotin and Cacak.