People who become reinfected with SARS-CoV-2 and have not been vaccinated against the virus will no longer be eligible for a certificate of recovery that allows them access to bars, restaurants, shops and other public venues, the Health Ministry said at its regular press briefing on Thursday.
The decision to tighten the rules was taken before the Christmas holidays, Vana Papaevangelou, a professor in infectious disease and a member of the government’s committee of experts, told the press briefing, adding, however, that passes will be issued to people who became infected after being vaccinated but before having the chance to get a booster shot.
Responding to the Health Ministry’s decision to loosen some more restrictions starting this weekend – particularly with regards to entertainment and sports venues – Papaevangelou stressed that Greece is not in the same position as other European countries that already have or are about to lift curbs entirely.
“We are not near the end of the pandemic. We are not ready to stop all the measures,” she said, as the National Organization for Public Health (EODY) reported 19,504 new coronavirus cases and 93 Covid-related deaths on Thursday.
“We will live with the virus for some time to come and given the present picture we are not ready to follow the example of other countries and go ahead with a complete abolition of all restrictions,” Papaevangelou added.
