Panta Petrovic can only laugh about corona measures such as the recommended “social distancing”. The Serb has been living in nature in the south of the country for almost 20 years. He chose solitary life.
Petrovic has long been a famous figure in Serbia. The man with the mighty gray beard and shaggy hair is known who has retired to the Balkan Mountains. But even there, the 70-year-old Corona did not remain hidden. On the contrary: Petrovic even briefly returned from his refuge to get the vaccination against the virus.
For Petrovic it is clear: “The virus is not picky. Sooner or later it would get into my cave too, ”he told the AFP news agency. His cave is nothing more than a shelter with a blanket and some straw to sleep on. There is also a rusted bathtub that serves as a toilet. The Serb can also look after himself in a poorly hammered kitchen.
“I ask every citizen to also get vaccinated”
On one of his rare visits to the city, Panta Petrovic heard about the coronavirus and the pandemic last year. The cavemen never discussed whether he would be vaccinated against the pathogen. Petrovic does not understand the excitement of the vaccine skeptics. «I want all three vaccinations, including the spades for the booster. And I ask every citizen to get vaccinated too. “
Petrovic knows that the pandemic could have hit his life very differently. Before he fled to the mountains, he had lived in the city of Pirot. But he was never free there. “There was always someone in the way. I either had an argument with my wife, my neighbors, or with the police. But nobody annoys me up here. ” Thanks to the vaccinations, the coronavirus shouldn’t change that. (cat)