The first free covid self-tests will be available at pharmacies across Greece from Wednesday, April 7, Greek Deputy Health Minister Vassilis Kontozamanis announced.
These do-it-yourself tests are meant for preventive testing. Participation in the scheme is voluntary and not mandatory.
The kits will be distributed first to students and teachers. A negative result will be mandatory for students and teachers to attend classes when schools reopen.
All citizens with an AMKA social security number will be entitled to four tests per month (one test per week) from their neighbourhood pharmacy.
The ministry recommends for citizens to carry out frequent self-tests even if they have not presented Covid-19 symptoms, as one in three carriers of the coronavirus are asymptomatic.
If a person returns a positive self-test result, they must register it on the self-testing.gov.gr website and must undergo a second free rapid antigen test at a health facility. Until this result is returned, they and their family should remain at home (self-isolate). In case the confirmatory test is positive, the General Secretariat of Civil Protection will contact them for further instructions and begin tracing their contacts.
Negative self-test results do not have to be registered.
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