Greece imposes monthly fines of 100 euros on the over-60s refusing a Covid vaccine

December 2, 2021: -Greece has announced mandatory vaccinations for older age groups from mid-January to curb the number of coronavirus infections in the country.

Failure to get the first dose of a coronavirus shot by January 16 for anyone aged 60 or over will result in a monthly fine of 100 euros, and the money will go toward the Greek health system.

On Tuesday, “It is not a punishment. It is a price of health, but an act of justice towards the most vaccinated,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said via Twitter.

According to data from Johns Hopkins University, Greece reported 7,720 new cases on Tuesday, down from a record high of 8,969 on November 9.

However, the authorities are worried about infections further in the runup and during the Christmas holidays. To this effect, they are also stepping up testing capacities.

According to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, about 62% of the Greek population was completely vaccinated against the virus as of Tuesday. This is below the EU’s average of 66%.

However, data from the health ministry showed that nearly 520,000 people over the age of 60 have failed to get a job so far, according to Reuters. Greece has a population of almost 11 million.