Greece Puts Price Cap on PCR Tests, Announces More Covid-19 Self-testing in Schools

The Greek government on Tuesday announced a cap on the cost of PCR molecular tests for Covid-19 at private diagnostic laboratories and clinics.

According to the General Secretariat of Commerce and Consumer Protection of the Ministry of Development and Investment, the maximum charge for a PCR test will be 47 euros from Thursday, January 6.

The decision, which follows an announcement made by Development and Investment Minister Adonis Georgiadis, says that the maximum service charge (sample analysis, etc.), including the required reagents and consumables, will amount to 35 euros and the maximum price of sampling in private diagnostic laboratories and clinics, will be 12 euros.

The 47-euro cap will not apply in case test samples are taken outside private diagnostic laboratories and clinics (eg home sampling).

Schools to reopen on January 10 with more self-testing

Greek authorities also announced that schools will reopen as planned on January 10 but with increased Covid-19 self-testing.

More specifically:

– Students, regardless of their vaccination status, and vaccinated teachers (unvaccinated teachers already must take two rapid tests a week) will have to take three (free) self-tests in the first week that schools will reopen, starting from Sunday, January 9.
– For the following weeks, regardless of their vaccination status, pupils and vaccinated teachers will have undergo two (free) self-tests a week.

If a pupil is found to be positive, he/she will enter quarantine for 5 days and will return to class with a negative rapid test. During the pupil’s quarantine, all classmates and teacher will undergo extra testing for the next five days:

Testing for unvaccinated
Unvaccinated students will have to take a total of 5 (free) Covid tests (two rapid and one self-test, in addition to the two weekly self-tests).
Unvaccinated teachers will have to take a total of 5 Covid tests (two rapid and one self-test, in addition to the two mandatory weekly rapid tests).

Testing for vaccinated
Vaccinated students and teachers will have to take a total of 3 (free) Covid tests (one extra self-test, in addition to the two weekly self-tests).

Greek health authorities on Tuesday announced another record number of 50,126 new coronavirus cases, 619 patients on ventilators and 61 deaths. Since the start of the pandemic, the total number of cases in the country has reached 1,344,923. The Covid-19 death toll in Greece is 21,053.