Background information

By virtue of the Joint Ministerial Decision 55400/12/09/2021 new measures were put in force as of 13 September 2021, throughout the country, in order to deal with the spread of the coronavirus. Unvaccinated public and private sector workers, pupils, university students, citizens 12 years of age and older who wish to travel to mainland and island destinations by plane, train, bus or ship or visit indoor public gathering places, should provide a certificate of negative diagnosis (rapid test) up to 48 hours in advance. The cost of €10 for the test is borne by the citizen, since as from 13 September, only those citizens vaccinated against COVID-19 and/or symptomatic ones will be able to take free tests at public facilities, while an identity check will be carried out.

Content of measure

The Joint Ministerial Decision (Υ.Α. Δ1α/ΓΠ.οικ. 55400/2021, OGG 4206/Β`12/09/2021) entered into force new measures for the protection of public health. Unvaccinated workers in the private and public sectors should perform a diagnostic test once a week, using the molecular control method (PCR) or the use of rapid coronavirus antigen detection (rapid test). These tests will be performed exclusively at private diagnostic centres, at the expense of the employee.

Unvaccinated educators and academics working in tourism, catering, television, film, theater, music and dance productions should have two PCR or rapid laboratory tests per week. With a certificate of vaccination or disease, or a certificate of negative laboratory test with the method (PCR) within 72 hours, or rapid test within 48 hours, citizens from 12 years of age and over will be able to enter courts, mortgages, cadastral offices.

Minors from 5 to 11 years old will present a self-test statement that has been performed within 24 hours. Students are required to perform two self tests per week, available free of charge by the state and declared on the platform selftesting.gov.gr. For university students two laboratory rapid antigen tests per week are mandatory performed exclusively in private diagnostic centres at the expense of the student (€10 euros per test).

Admission to hospitals, clinics, doctor's offices, diagnostic centres and rehabilitation centres is allowed to fully vaccinated and already diseased during the last six months who have undergone a rapid test within 48 hours before entering the public or private health facility. Indoor restaurants (cafes, bars, restaurants, taverns, clubs, nightclubs) operate only with vaccinated and/or diseased civilians (up to 6 months from diagnosis).

Use of measure

There is no available information. However, based on a press conference of the Ministry of Health (31 August 2021) the vaccinated citizens in Greece range from 6.5% for the age group 12-14 to 84.8% for the age group 75-79; the average percentage of vaccinated citizens from 15 to 59 years old is approximately 55%.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Applies to all workers	Does not apply to businesses	Applies to all citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government	National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	No involvement	No involvement
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• No involvement
• Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

No involvement in any stage of the measures.

Views and reactions

The Hellenic Confederation of Professionals, Craftsmen & Merchants (GSEVEE) is arguing that  the catering industry from 13 September enters a mini lockdown. 50% of citizens are unvaccinated and as such 50% potential customers are unable to go to restaurants. This creates huge sustainability problems in the sector. According to GSEVEE the government is to be blamed for instrumentalising the catering industry since it cannot be used as pressure on society for measures that the state can not impose. Employers in the sector would expect compensatory measures from the government such as liquidity, further subsidisation of rent, but also concern for the employment suspensions.

Sources

• 28 August 2021: Catering sector under mini lockdown from 13 September (www.newsbomb.gr)
• 30 August 2021: How many have been vaccinated per age group in Greece(Tables) (www.iatronet.gr)
• 12 September 2021: Joint Ministerial Decision 55400/2021 (elinyae.gr)
• 13 September 2021: Coronavirus: (Greece) tightens measures for the unvaccinated (www.cnn.gr)