Update – 23/12/2021
December 23, 2021
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As of the latest update by the Greek authorities, the total number of confirmed Covid-19 diagnosed cases in Greece 1,049,936. 69 new deaths were reported raising the total number to 20,126. The number of patients treated in intensive care units is currently 665. 5,641 new cases were announced yesterday in Greece. 2,307 of the new cases were found in the Attica region and 776 new cases in the Thessaloniki region.
Unvaxxinated healthcare staff in the national healthcare system (ESY) will have another three months to reconsider their stance before being terminated, Health Minister Thanos Plevris said in parliament on Thursday.
Up to now, doctors and nurses in the ESY who refused to get vaccinated against the coronavirus were suspended without pay and given three months to change their minds before being terminated.
On Wednesday, Plevris clarified that the measures will be extended for another three months, to March 31, 2022 before they lose their jobs.
“The pandemic’s development shows that the suspension measure should be extended to March 31,2022. The measure will be re-evaluated then and [the government] is seriously examining making it obligatory for those offering their services to the ESY. They must decide within this three-month period. They must be vaccinated as long as the pandemic lasts,” he told lawmakers.
“We are considering not giving another extension to the suspension and they [the unvaxxinated] will not be able to offer their services [to the ESY]. That is clear,” he added.
The Scientific Committee advising the government on the handling of the pandemic has proposed several new measures to contain the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant according to information made available to Kathimerini on Wednesday. A final decision on their implementation is expected on Thursday.
These new measures call for the cancellation of seasonal public events, like the one recently cancelled in central Athens, a return to empty stadiums for sporting events, the mandatory use of a protective masks in both indoor and outdoor areas, and the mandatory use of enhanced protection (either with a KN95 mask or by using two masks) in supermarkets and public transportation.
The new recommended measures may also affect travelers as they include suggestions that people who have entered Greece should have to undergo mandatory testing (rapid or PCR) on the 2nd and 4th day after their arrival.
New measures for the period after New Year’s Day are also expected to be discussed next week according to the same information. Early ideas include fresh restrictions on opening hours for stores, limiting the amount of people per square footage in close spaces, and increasing remote working.
Health Minister Thanos Plevris said Wednesday the government is considering imposing some restrictions after the holiday season to control the spread of the coronavirus.
The government on Tuesday stopped short of imposing a registered rapid test for everyone at a pharmacy or testing center before entering entertainment venues on New Year’s Eve, choosing instead to call for a self-test for the unvaccinated and a “strong recommendation” to get tested for those who have completed their inoculation.
“It is a clear position of the government — the expert committee is currently meeting — that after the holidays there will definitely be a framework of restrictive measures,” the minister said during a debate in Parliament over a Health Ministry provisions on the pandemic on Wednesday.
“The committee will propose the restrictive measures and the government will make its final decisions so that we can control the pandemic,” he added.
The municipality of Athens cancelled an event on the city’s main Kotzia square due to the risk of Covid-19 infections.
“With sense of responsibility and due to the increase of Covid-19 infections, the municipality of Athens decided the cancellation of the event Christmas Eve-The Night of the Wishes to remain safe over the holidays and with the wish that next year we will be all together again,” the municipality said in an announcement on Wednesday.
In more detail, the 5,641 new cases detected per Regional Unit:
