Government decisions week on catering and entertainment measures

By Dimitris Gatsios

Increased testing and protection measures in the school units that are reopening from today. Changes in the expiration time horizon of the vaccination certificate, but also moves for the further impetus in the national program of “Eleftheria”.

With this square footing, the government is structuring its strategy for the coming critical weeks on the Omicron mutation front, with experts expecting the peak of infections and focusing on the so-called “hard” indicators of the pandemic virus. which are related to hospitalizations and admissions to Intensive Care Units.

The latest developments around Covid-19 are expected to be put on the table in another morning meeting at the Maximos Palace, under Kyriakos Mitsotakis, moving in a momentum, anyway, decisions regarding the… fate of the framework of measures implemented before New Year. And the committee of experts, within the next twenty-four hours, will submit its suggestions to the government regarding what will be born after January 17 for the restaurants and entertainment stores, as the chain tightens for our unvaccinated fellow citizens, but also those who have not yet taken the booster dose.

The scientists of the Ministry of Health are obviously waiting for the peak of the pandemic wave in the middle of next week and what should be taken for granted is that in the… drawer there is a plan for further tightening of the restrictions, if required. However, with the aim of shielding the health system, but also the rise of the vaccination program, the first move came to the fore. “A decision has been made that those over 60 who have not taken the booster dose after seven months will be considered unvaccinated. We have already announced that this will be extended to all age groups, we always talk about adults, not minors. on 1 February, whoever has not taken the booster dose and has closed the seven-month period, will be considered as unvaccinated, ie the certificate will be valid, because it is a European certificate that is valid for nine months, but will not be able to have the privileges and advantages as to access indoor and other activities that are for the purely vaccinated

Those of our fellow citizens, at this time, who have completed the vaccination with two doses, should have taken the booster dose in the seven months since they had taken the second dose. “The deadline is February 1st”, noted (Antenna) the Minister of Health, Thanos Plevris. Anyone who has not done the first dose of the vaccine will be fined € 100 on a monthly basis from January 16, the day the vaccination is mandatory, and government officials say the fines will be imposed normally, as no extension.

A major question of the last twenty-four hours is the possibility of extending the measure of obligation for the group of 50 to 60 years. Megaro Maximou weighs all the data around this move, although no immediate decisions are expected, despite the fact that government officials leave a window still open.

“We have seven months for the third dose, to be considered to have all the benefits of the vaccinated. If one does not take the third dose and the seven months have passed, one will not have the privileges of the vaccinated. It is an additional incentive for other fellow citizens to rush to take the third dose. vaccination coverage, whatever we need to do, we will do it “, said (Mega) the government spokesman, Giannis Oikonomou.