Update – 12/01/2022
January 12, 2022
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As of the latest update by the Greek authorities, the total number of confirmed Covid-19 diagnosed cases in Greece 1,568,215. 80 new deaths were reported raising the total number to 21,559. The number of patients treated in intensive care units is currently 640. 32,694 new cases were announced yesterday in Greece. 12,920 of the new cases were found in the Attica region and 3,171 new cases in the Thessaloniki region.
An administrative fine of 100 euros per month will be imposed as of next week on citizens over 60 who do not get vaccinated by Sunday, according to Health Minister Thanos Plevris.
Speaking to Skai TV, he clarified that the only exceptions are citizens who have applied for an exemption for medical reasons and their request has either been accepted or has not yet been examined.
Those who have applied for home vaccination will not face fines either. However, as General Secretary of Primary Healthcare Marios Themistokleous noted, it is extremely rare to have a health reason for non-vaccination. “Even if someone has a contraindication to one type of vaccine, they can be vaccinated with the other type of vaccine,” he stressed.
Since the vaccine mandate was announced, more than 180,000 appointments for first shots had been made up until Tuesday by people over 60. Many of these involve home vaccinations. Indicatively, two days before the compulsory vaccination announcement was made, applications for home vaccination stood at 23,865, compared to 76,900 that had been submitted up until Tuesday.
SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras, who announced at the weekend that he had tested positive for Covid-19, called on the public on Tuesday to be cautious as the virus is not to be taken lightly.
Taking to social media, the main opposition leader said: “Take care of yourself, of your dear ones, and those you come into contact with. The virus is no joke, and for many people it is anything but a simple cold.”
He urged people to get their vaccinations, wear masks, maintain social distancing, keep calmness and “above all”, show solidarity.
Tsipras said he had run a temperature and had a strong headache over the last three days. He still feels tired and remains in isolation.
Greece’s National Vaccination Committee approved on Tuesday the administration of a fourth dose of a coronavirus vaccine to immunocompromised people.
The experts decided that this group will be able to get the fourth jab 3-6 months after the third.
The decision concerns patients with haematological and oncological illnesses who under treatment, people receiving immunosuppressive drugs, transplant recipients and patients with rheumatic diseases or renal failure.
With the Omicron variant proliferating around the country, the government is throwing all its weight behind the effort to ensure that Greece rides the fifth wave of the pandemic with the least possible damage so that it can enjoy a Covid-free spring.
Amid the moves it is considering is whether there should be an extension of the vaccine mandate to people over the age of 50, with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis receiving different suggestions. This approach is based on the fact that the compulsory measure for those aged over 60 has worked satisfactorily, given that it led to higher vaccination rates in this age group.
However, government officials that are opposed to the move say that now is not the time to extend vaccination mandates, and that this should have been done around two months ago when the Omicron variant first emerged, pointing to society’s fatigue, almost two years since the pandemic began.
Opponents of the extension note that in order for people to have some immunity they will have to do both shots and that this will take at least a month before it kicks in, something that will only bring further social fatigue.
Indicative of the different approaches is that different views have been publicly expressed.
Last Friday, Alternate Interior Minister Stelios Petsas left open the possibility of taking new measures – i.e. an extension of the obligation. On Saturday, Alternate Health Minister Mina Gaga said no new measures were being considered, while on Sunday government spokesperson Yiannis Oikonomou again left all possibilities open.
At the same time, the government was positive about the first day of school on Monday, given that more than 15,000 cases that were confirmed Monday would not have been detected if they had not opened.
In a social media post, the PM said that “thanks to the system of mass tests, more than 15,000 cases of coronavirus were detected which, otherwise, would have circulated in the community, transmitting the virus much more easily.”
“I want to emphasize that our country is among the first places in Europe in laboratory and self-diagnostic tests. So far it has organized and distributed 94,000,000 tests to 7,800,000 citizens,” he said, while noting that, according to scientists, along with vaccinations, testing is the best response to the pandemic and especially to the Omicron variant.
The Greek government is expected to extend for a week the existing limited restrictions imposed to halt the new wave of infections by one week.
According to sources, the government is only considering the possibility of reintroducing music in restaurants and cafes.
The measures currently in place were announced in late December and introduced on January 3rd. They include a closing time of midnight for all entertainment venues, while standing customers are not allowed and a maximum of six people may share a table. Half of employees in the public and public sectors will have to work from home and people will have to wear increased protection facemasks (KN95/FFP2) or double masks in supermarkets and public transport.
The government had said they would be in place until the 16th.
Greek Deputy Development Minister Nikos Papathanasis announced Tuesday that he has tested positive for Covid-19.
In a tweet on his official account, the minister said he’s triple-vaccinated and is experiencing mild symptoms because of his inoculation, while urging the public to get the jab.
In more detail, the 32,694 new cases detected per Regional Unit:
