Mitsotakis: Only a matter of time before Delta variant prevails; again calls for people to get vaccinated

A ministerial meeting chaired by the Greek prime minister was held on Monday to focus on stepped up checks and inspections throughout the country to confirm that Covid-19 restrictions are being applied and followed, as concerns heightened in the country over a coming surge in the number of “Delta variant” cases.

The meeting comes as the Mitsotakis government is vigorously promoting Covid-19 vaccinations, on the one hand, while at the same time gradually offering “perks” to vaccinated individuals and people that that previously contracted the virus.

The center-right government is also keenly interested in salvaging as much of the all-important tourism season as possible, as the Greek economy relies heavily on travel remittances.

“We need to focus our attention on the entertainment sector; on situations where the number of people exceeds limits and give rise to outbreaks,” Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis said, while later telling local government office-holders – via a teleconference – that the ECDC estimates that the Delta variant will dominate news cases in a matter of time.

The Greek premier said new confirmed infections of Covid-19 have increased by 75 from last week, while again calling on people in at-risk groups to get vaccinated, as they field the greatest risk of contracting the virus and falling seriously ill.

Earlier, public health officials said 56 percent of adults in Greece have been given at least one dose of a Covid-19 vaccination; nearly 47 percent are fully vaccinated.

In attempting to push home the “message” of a threatened “fourth wave” of the pandemic, a bevy of ministers have recently and repeatedly precluded the possibility of another pandemic-related “lockdown” and more financial support measures for businesses and wage-earners, pointing instead to “no restrictions for the vaccinated”.