Greeks over the age of 60 not yet vaccinated against the coronavirus, will have to get a first shot of a vaccine by January 16 if they want to avoid a hefty fine.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakos announced on Tuesday, that every citizen over 60 refusing to get vaccinated would be fined 100 euros (113 dollars) per month, a considerable sum for many Greek pensioners.
“There is only one age group that insists on waiting: of the 580,000 unvaccinated citizens over the age of 60, only 60,000 got vaccinated in November. And unfortunately, it is the over 60s who get sick and die,” Mitsotakos said.
In order to track down those unwilling to receive the shot, the national security agency will pass on their data to the tax authority, which will then collect the fine.
The money is then to go to hospitals. “This is not a punishment, but a bonus for health, an act of justice,” the prime minister said.
According to the EU health agency ECDC, some 62 per cent of Greece’s 11 million inhabitants are fully vaccinated.
The government is so far not planning to implement another lockdown to combat the coronavirus. Instead, it has imposed far-reaching restrictions for the unvaccinated, including mandatory Covid-19 testing when visiting public institutions.
They are also denied access to cultural facilities, fitness centres and restaurants.