Greece Doesn’t See Covid Vaccination Certificates Returning

Covid-19 vaccination certificates will most likely not be needed again, Greek Deputy Health Minister Mina Gaga said on Monday.

The use of Covid-19 vaccination and recovery certificates in Greece was suspended as of May 1 as part of government efforts to ease pandemic-related restrictions ahead of summer. Prior to the suspension, the public needed to present Covid-19 vaccination or recovery certificates to enter indoor or open spaces such as restaurants and cafes.

Speaking during an interview on SKAI TV, Gaga appeared modestly optimistic about the Covid-19 situation in Greece this winter and said that Covid vaccination certificates will probably not be returning.

“We all think, more or less, that from now the situation will be mild,” she said, adding though that with winter approaching nothing is certain as the coronavirus can be unpredictable.

Remaining modestly optimistic, the deputy minister went added that Covid-19 is now resembling the flu.

“I think that from now on the coronavirus is turning into some kind of flu and this is seen internationally,” Gaga said.

Moreover, the deputy minister said that tourism did not burden the Covid-19 situation in Greece.

“Most of the population has already been immunized and cases do not seem to be increasing much,” she said.

School year to start most likely without masks

Ahead of the new school year, the deputy minister said that within the next few days the Health Ministry’s committee of experts will announce if masks will be necessary to be worn by students and staff.

“Right now it seems that the school year will begin probably without masks,” she said.

Referring to the same issue on Monday, Greek Health Minister Thanos Plevris said the government does not wish to introduce additional measures against Covid-19.

He said students and teachers will probably not be obliged to wear masks nor have to take self-tests for Covid-19 to enter schools.

Schools open in Greece on September 12.

Greece’s National Public Health Organization (EODY) has announced that in the August 15-21 period, 55,769 new Covid infections were recorded, 22 percent of which repeat infections, and 258 deaths. Since the start of the pandemic two years ago, Greece has registered 32,335 deaths.