Categories: Greek NEWS

Greek Gov’t says it’s ready to do whatever is needed

As Greece Thursday confirmed its first case of Covid-19 caused by the Omicron variant, the government said it did not rule out an extension of mandatory vaccinations to other groups apart from those over-60s if the need arises.

More specifically, commenting on the statement by EU Commission President Ursula von der Leyen regarding compulsory vaccination and whether Greece is considering it, government spokesperson Giannis Oikonomou said, “We are ready at any time to do what we need to do concerning the pandemic.”

“With our decision on compulsory vaccination, we are one of the first countries and there will be others,” he said at a press conference specifying the measures in the law mandating vaccination for all people over the age of 60. Mandatory moves, he said, are “the last resort for vaccination coverage.”

Later Thursday, Health Minister Thanos Plevris announced the country’s first case of Omicron. The infected person is a Greek man who lives in Johannesburg and flew from South Africa to Crete for a holiday.

The man, who is fully vaccinated, arrived on Crete on November 26 and took a rapid antigen test at the airport which turned out negative. A second test the next day, after he developed mild symptoms of Covid-19, again presented a negative result, but a third on November 29 confirmed his infection, which was the Omicron variant. He remains in quarantine and his contacts have tested negative. 

Meanwhile, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said Thursday he has a “moral obligation to use all the tools at our disposal to convince all citizens over the age of 60 of the need to get vaccinated.”

Mitsotakis stressed during a meeting with the World Health Organization regional director for Europe, Dr Hans Kluge, in Athens that the government’s policy aimed to boost vaccination rates before Christmas. They also discussed the possibility of reducing the interval before the third booster shot to four months from the current six.

Oikonomou said that any decisions on this issue are expected “very soon, possibly within a week.”

Also, Thursday, pressure continued to mount the National Health System as the number of patients intubated in intensive care units rose to 704. Health authorities announced 6,260 new cases of coronavirus and 89 fatalities—thirteen of the 6,260 cases involved tourists tested upon arrival.

Ads1

Ads1
Gct

Recent Posts

Roxana, the exotic Bactrian wife of Alexander the Great

Roxana, Alexander the Great's wife, was a significant figure in ancient history. She was born…

1 hour ago

Greece Introduces Law Prohibiting Gas Sales to Motorcyclists Without Helmets

Greece is set to introduce a new law prohibiting gas stations from selling fuel to…

2 hours ago

Greece and UAE Forge Partnership on Water Resource Management

Greece and the UAE are joining forces to address water resource management challenges, with a…

2 hours ago

Delicious Mushroom Ragù

This is a recipe for a delicious mushroom ragù that goes well with meat or…

3 hours ago

Nikitas Kaklamanis Elected Speaker of the Hellenic Parliament with Broad Support

Nikitas Kaklamanis has been elected Speaker of the Greek Parliament with 247 votes, supported by…

4 hours ago

66 Migrants Rescued on Crete After Sailing from Libya, Greek Authorities Report

Greek authorities have rescued 66 migrants on the southern island of Crete after they arrived…

4 hours ago