Tarantilis: Government closely monitoring pandemic and taking decisions step by step

Greece is currently doing a great deal better than many other European countries with respect to the pandemic but this remains a dynamic phenomenon and decisions have to be adapted to the epidemiological data, government spokesperson Christos Tarantilis said on Thursday.

He underlined that the government "is closely monitoring the data and proceeding with decisions step by step, based on the recommendations of the expert scientists."

While protection of human life was not "offset" against other costs in any way, he added, the government was also not overlooking the needs of working people and businesses, such as the retail sector, he noted, adding that decisions will be announced every Friday after the expert committee has provided its input.

In the meantime, he said, Greece was continuing a policy of "defence" against the pandemic while intensifying the "counter-attack" in the form of the vaccination programme "Eleftheria" to build up immunity in the population.

Tarantilis reported that the vaccination campaign - which he described as the most complex operation ever undertaken by the Greek state in healthcare - was unfolding at a satisfactory rate, with security and transparency, and that many of the country's 146 hospitals had already completed the process of administering the first dose of the vaccine to frontline healthcare staff.

Up until Wednesday, he added, a total of 65,005 people (0.6 pct of the population) had been vaccinated and the rate will be accelerated as more vaccine doses arrive so that collective immunity is achieved within the summer.

He also announced that tens of thousands of Greeks aged over 85 have received an SMS with a proposed vaccination date via the electronic platform and 110,000 appointments have been confirmed, which will begin on January 16. Those wishing to change the appointment can do so up to 72 hours beforehand. Those who receive the second dose of the vaccine will also be given a vaccination certificate, which Greece has proposed be established on a EU level.