Covid-19: Greece Drops Mask Measures, Scraps Rapid Testing for Workers

Greek authorities announced this week that current Covid 2019 measures that include wearing masks on public transport, on board ferries, in cabs, in pharmacies as well as rapid test requirements for unvaccinated employees will be dropped.

Following three years of Covid-19 measures, the new ministerial decision published this week and in force through to April 10 does not apply to people working in hospitals or to those who come in contact with vulnerable groups.

More specifically, according to the decision, high risk protective masks (FFP2, N95 or ΚΝ95) will still be mandatory for unvaccinated medical, paramedical, nursing, administrative and support staff at hospitals and health facilities. In these cases, employees will be required to take two rapid tests per week on their own expense. This also applies to those accompanying patients in hospitals.

After meeting with Greece’s committee of Covid experts, Health Minister Thanos Plevris had announced earlier this month that Covid measures, including face masks, would remain mandatory only in public and private health facilities, hospitals and at senior care homes.

Greece scrapped the face mask rule for indoor spaces in June 2022 but mask wearing remained obligatory in hospitals, senior care facilities and when riding in taxis and using public means of transport (buses, trolleys, railway services, metro and tram cars).