The Greek government implemented new restrictions on unvaccinated people, including barring anyone without a vaccine pass or a certificate proving recovery from coronavirus from some indoor venues.
The new measures, which will last until at least March 31st, came into effect on Monday and will require Greeks to have a vaccine passport or proof of immunity to enter indoor bars, cafes, and restaurants, and other indoor entertainment settings.
Other areas such as theatres, gyms, and museums will be open to unvaccinated individuals who show a negative coronavirus test no older than 48 hours.
Regardless if someone is vaccinated or not, they will be required to wear masks indoors and at outdoor areas that are crowded, the newspaper I Kathimerini reports.
All public and private sector workers will also be required to either take the vaccine or to submit to weekly coronavirus tests at their own expense, with private clinics charging €10 (£8.52/$11.83) per test.
The Greek Health Ministry has stated that it would not hesitate to be "ruthless" when looking for unvaccinated healthcare workers who oppose to the vaccine mandate and present fake vaccine certificates https://t.co/b11mAaHGf7
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) September 12, 2021
Those working in certain industries, including tourism, academia, bars, and restaurants, as well as school pupils and university students, will be required to test for coronavirus twice a week if not vaccinated. School pupils will not have to pay out of pocket for the tests, however.
To implement the new rules, shops and bars and other venues will see employees scan coronavirus certificates using a free mobile phone app.
“The controls will be quite strict. We will control those who enter enclosed spaces through the app. Our main goal is not to have to close again,” Athens cafe owner Andreas Martzaklis told the newspaper Proto Thema.
Greece, like many other countries, has seen resistance to the vaccine passport programme, with demonstrations erupting in Thessaloniki over the weekend that saw protesters clash with Greek police.
VIDEOS: 120,000 Take to The Streets of France Against Vaccine Passports for Ninth Straight Week https://t.co/V9d1jaARmy
— Breitbart London (@BreitbartLondon) September 12, 2021
Around 15,000 people are believed to have taken part in the action, including unions and healthcare workers protesting mandatory vaccines.
Earlier this month, it was revealed that around 6,000 healthcare workers had been suspended for not taking the coronavirus vaccine after the deadline of September 1st.
COMMENTS
Please let us know if you're having issues with commenting.