Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias announced on Tuesday that unvaccinated citizens will not be able to have free PRC and Rapid Covid-19 tests as from September 13 in an effort to increase financial pressure to those who refuse to get vaccine shots. Free Covid-tests will be available only for vaccinated citizens or persons with symptoms.
At a live presser on Tuesday, Kikilias announced the new framework of restrictions or obligations that among others foresee mandatory rapid test for unvaccinated workers – 1 or 2 per week depending on work category – or for travel with public transport means.
- Unvaccinated citizens will have no access to the Rapid tests offered free of charge by the state.
- The price for the Rapid test is set at 10 euros, from 20 currently.
Unvaccinated teachers and academics as well as workers at tourism, food service sector (restaurants etc) and television productions will be obliged to have 2 Rapid tests per week.
Unvaccinated workers at other sectors must have one Rapid test per week.
- Secondary education student: 2 self-tests per week paid by the state.
- Higher education students: 2 Rapid tests per week at their own expenses.
For travel with airplane, ferry or intercity buses: mandatory Rapid test for all over 17 years old, and self-test for those aged 5-12.
The measures is in force from 13. September 2021 until 31. March 2022.
Minister Kikilias did not announce any provision for those who cannot get vaccinated due to health reasons.
The remaining measures announced today on a separate post.
Note than only 53% of the 10-million population in the country is fully vaccinated, while some another 280,000 people have received the first shot.
PS Maybe The Minister will think about the non-vaccinated for health reasons it next week, next month or next year…. Instead of issuing measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus, for one more time the Greek government decided to increase pressure on unvaccinated citizens with economic tools.
Those not obliged to have Covid-tests for labor or education reasons will continue to spread the virus, anyway.
It remains to be seen if it will work or just backfire.
One more issue that needs to be answered is whether the measure is constitutional or not as workers pay contributions for health care but the Health Ministry deprives them from some services as the free Covid-tests.
More information on coronavirus in Greece here.
》Free Covid-tests will be available only for vaccinated citizens or persons with symptoms.
So everyone will just lie about their symptoms to get free test. Very smart gov!
In normal country (Austria), you do self tests and send picture. In a few minutes you get reply with EU certificate.
okay, but it would only make sense, then, that i also don’t need to keep paying for what i am no longer receiving, correct? so i would also expect that i can stop making those ‘efka’ payments every month if they’re saying i wont get what ive paid for.
As usual, these measures will hurt the lower paid workers eg tourism more than the well off. Personally I’m retired with a decent pension, I don’t travel or eat inside tavernas much. All of this will do nothing at all to persuade me to get vaccinated. Good luck to them!
Meanwhile, foreigners staying in Greece without an AMKA number are waiting for a PAMKA, a temporary number. Without it you can’t get vaccinated. I applied for one late May and am still waiting for the liberating SMS.