Vaccinated citizens will be free from the obligation to provide proof of a self-diagnostic coronavirus test for work or social activities as of July 1, Minister to the Prime Minister’s Office Akis Skertsos said on Saturday.
Since April 12, some 27.5 million self-tests were distributed in Greece to 4.5 million citizens, which has contributed to the rapid decrease of new infections, he noted, along with the vaccinations rollout.
New infections dropped 75% in the last two months and Covid-19 hospitalizations also dropped by 65-70%, he underlined.
Referring to those who do not want to be vaccinated, the minister said “they should know that they will continue to be restricted in the way they work, socialize, and be entertained.”
Elaborating, he said that “we are implementing public health measures that have curtailed our rights, to protect the health of the many and especially the most vulnerable. From the moment they are vaccinated, however, citizens have every right to return to their normal lives.”
He added ” those who choose to remain unvaccinated should understand that as the level of immunity increases -and there is no longer a risk for the most vulnerable to get sick and put pressure on the health system- there is no chance that universal restrictive measures will return, say in autumn, which will limit the lives of the vaccinated. There will be measures in terms of public health – but they will concern the unvaccinated ones,” he clarified.
Concerning the possibility of vaccination becoming mandatory, Skertsos noted that “we must always keep in mind that while we do have the right to self-determination and what to do with our bodies (…), when you are a health worker, for example, and your job is to protect your own health and the health of the people who come to be treated, there must also be a question of one’s obligation.”
PS in the last few days ,media have been also talking of no more obligation for wearing a face mask outdoors from July 1, but nothing official yet.
Strange move, as vaccinated people can still contract and pass on the virus to non-vaccinated people.
For example, during the last lockdown, and two months after my cousin in the army was vaccinated with the 2nd Pfizer jab, he contracted Covid-19 and passed it on to his homebound unvaccinated wife and 3 kids. They all went through an eventful two weeks of symptoms, etc. Two weeks after they recovered, he and his wife still didn’t have a sense of smell or taste.