Greece to ‘prioritise’ virus vaccines for elderly, at-risk

ATHENS: Greece will prioritise giving coronavirus vaccines to the elderly and high-risk groups if and when they become available, the country’s health minister said on Saturday.

“If and when a vaccine comes, we will prioritise those who must take it above all,” Vassilis Kikilias told Skai TV. “Who is that? Our very aged fellow citizens, the very elderly, high-risk groups...we will protect those in danger.”

He added that vaccines will not be compulsory but they will be “strongly recommended.”

Greece has so far recorded 201 COVID-19 deaths and more than 4,100 infections. Last month the country began progressively reopening its land borders to selective countries, before allowing mostly European flights to all its on July 1.

With a quarter of the nation’s economy dependent on tourism, the government has sought to reassure potential visitors they can safely vacation in Greece.

More than 900,000 people entered the country after all its airports reopened, civil protection deputy minister Nikos Hardalias said this week.

So far there have been nearly 300 confirmed infections among incoming travellers, mainly from the Balkans.

Greece’s civil protection agency on Saturday announced that from July 28, all air passengers from Bulgaria and Romania must have proof of having tested negative up to 72 hours before travel.