Greece will start distributing free do-it-yourelf COVID-19 tests next month, the government said on Saturday, as it seeks to alleviate pressure on a healthcare system facing a stubbornly high level of new infections.
Everyone with a social security number (ΑΜΚΑ) will be entitled to four of the test kits per month.
The test kits will be distributed at pharmacies.
According to the government, the test kits will be available from the first week of April.
“It is a new tool in the country’s battle against the pandemic. The tests will allow better epidemiological monitoring, and of course prevention,” the prime minister’s office said in a statement.
The government said the do-it-yourself test kits have an accuracy rate of about 95%-99%. They are easier to do than rapid tests, needing nasal and saliva samples instead of the nasopharyngeal sample used in rapid tests.
As the good old Greek way dictates, confusion broke out as initially state minister Aris Skertsos who announced the new measure to control the pandemic said that citizens will report a positive result to health authorities and the next day he corrected saying that there will be no need for reporting.
This led to assumption that the government is to give up monitoring and tracing of Covid-19 infections and an outcry broke out.
Later on Sunday, the minister posted on his FB account that there will be a reporting after all.
On Monday morning, the Minister of Digital Governance assured media that there will be a platform where citizens can report a positive result, however, he added that this will not be mandatory.
Confusion did not end there, though.
From the very first moment pharmacists came out claiming that the decision was taken without previous consulting with the sector.
The Pharmacists Federation said that they will ask 15 euros from the citizens for each test as minimum rewarding for their services.
Still on Monday, government spokesperson Aristotelia Peloni stated that the self-tests will be free of charge.
While the new respond of the pharmacists is still due, the latter also raise objections saying that they are not willing to carry out these tests to customers if they are asked to. Furthermore, they stated that they do not have the facilities to deal with crowds of people with or without coronavirus symptoms seeking a pharmacy to obtain a test-kit.
For the final details of the ambitious plan, citizens will still have to wait for a few days.
The government said Greece would be the first European country to make such test kits so easily available and free of charge. Sadly, this is not true as Germany has been offering free DIY test at vaccination centers or pharmacy once a week.
It’s seems Greece is becoming like the UK and Confusing themselves as well as everyone else, and U Turns are becoming the Norm!!!
Covid 19 Self-Test kits free of charge in Germany: sadly, it could be true, what the Greek Government said. It could be true, that Greece is more quickly than Germany because the system of this Self-Test kits free of charge does not wirk until now in Germany. They speek in Germany only, but they don’t manage anything!!! Greece is better than Germany to manage the pandemic. We have in Germany a tital state failure as far as the progress of vaccinations, the test strategy and the payment of financial aid are concerned
So the people without a AMKA number do what? To get a 15€ free test
Same as the vaccine go to Kep and get a one day life span AMKA number to get a vaccination,or is it like the Monty Python saying
AND NOW FOR SOMETHING COMPLETELY DIFFERENT!!!
Austria started to hand out 5 self-testing kits per month free of charge about two weeks ago. Unfortunately in some areas there are not enough kits available and people who are not registered in the national ELGA-system are excluded.
Yes, there have been shortages here or there but no, that was not a supply problem but a logistics problem instead. Maybe not every pharmacy had sufficient supply every day but overall it worked perfectly well that every holder of a register card got 5 self-tests for March and will continue to get them every month going forward; free of charge. This is in addition to the phenomenal number of daily quick tests free of charge performed in testing centers. This is partially due to the fact that certain businesses (like hair dressers) require evidence of negative quick tests.
Why don’t they just give them out regardless of an AMKA number its for the greater good of everyone, I applied on line for an AMKA number weeks ago in order to get vaccinated , heard nothing yet
They won’t give them out without AMKA number Mike because that is easy and straightforward
We already had them for a long time now in Sweden and of course we don’t pay for them (except through tax) as they are in the interest for all of us
I got an AMKA number to enable me to get vaccination as currently my age platform. My name not on vaccination database so can’t get it….this is ridiculous that I cannget a test but not a vaccination.
Typical of Greece…one hand doesn’t know what the other hand is doing..and, of course, everything has to have a stamp..that’s the important thing!! Everything in Greece is too longwinded…..stamp, then stamp the stamp, then stamp the stamp that’s already been stamped!! TOO MUSH BLOODY BEAUROCRACY!! The country only has two speeds…DEAD and BURIED!!!!