Government reluctant to impose new restrictions on unvaccinated, mulls other measures

Amidst a major surge of the fourth wave of the COVID-19 epidemic, some experts are calling for new, tougher restrictions on unvaccinated citizens, while others maintain in addition that the only way to build a strong wall of immunity is for those who are fully vaccinated to receive a third dose of the vax.

Yet, by all indications the government is in no rush to impose further restrictions.

On the one hand it says it is waiting to assess the effectiveness of existing measures, and on the other it notes that epidemiological indices appear to have stabilised slightly over the last few days.

The government’s strategy now is simply to persuade as many unvaccinated citizens as possible to get the first dose of the vaccine and to stress the importance of those who are already fully vaccinated getting a booster shot.

It says that the response of those who are vaccinated to calls to get a third jab are especially encouraging.

Government spokesman Yannis Economou said yesterday that if the pace of vaccination with booster shots continues at the same rate, it will not be necessary to make it compulsory.

The European Commission is expected to make the booster shot a prerequisite for the issuance of the digital COVID-19 pass required for EU citizens to travel to other countries within the Union.

No tougher measures for the unvaccinated

The government has for two weeks been floating possible stronger public health restrictions on the unvaccinated through the press that have been continually “under consideration” or “under review”, but now it appears to have decided not to implement them, at least in the immediate future.

One basic measure that reportedly is on the table is to implement staggered working hours in the public sector so that civil servants would arrive at and leave work at different hours, thus alleviating very overcrowded buses and subway cars. If the government is to take any further measures at all, this one is considered the most likely.

Greece, with a population of approximately 10.3 million, has over 560,000 civil servants.

Another measure under consideration is requiring more COVID-19 tests (three instead of the current two weekly).

The government is also reviewing the prospect of further limiting the maximum number of customers at restaurants, cafes, bars, and recreation venues.