Starting Monday, Greece intends to impose fines on all people aged 60 and over who have not been vaccinated against Covid-19, in a bid to boost lagging vaccination levels and reduce pressure on healthcare.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis told the elderly the easiest way to avoid the tax is to get vaccinated.
“For the few compatriots over 60 who are still unvaccinated, I encourage them today: take this step,” he said on Saturday. “It’s not a matter of fines, yes there will be fines, but that’s the bare minimum. . Protect your life, protect the lives of your loved ones, and know that vaccines are safe.”
Greek authorities say unvaccinated people still face a high risk of being hospitalized with the coronavirus. In Greece, 9 out of 10 coronavirus-related deaths are in people 60 and older, and 7 out of 10 people hospitalized with the virus are over 60. Eight in 10 of them were not vaccinated. From Pandemic to Endemic: Can 2022 Succeed, Where 2021 Fails?
About 520,000 elderly people in Greece had not been vaccinated before the mandatory vaccination was announced in November, according to the health ministry.
Since then, some 220,000 people have rolled up their sleeves. Of the remaining 300,000 people, some will be eligible to apply for waivers for medical reasons.
Those who persist could be fined 100 euros ($114) per month. Greek tax authorities will directly fine those who have not been vaccinated, and the money raised will go to hospitals fighting the outbreak.
Spokesman Ioannis Oikonomou said on Thursday that the government had exhausted all other means of persuasion.
Like much of Europe, Greece has seen a record number of daily cases this month due to a highly contagious variant of the omicron. The death toll related to the new coronavirus is running at a similar level to the peak of the previous wave.
About two-thirds of people in Greece are fully vaccinated, below the EU average.
Complete News Source : Hindustan Times
