Elderly Greeks say fines for failing to get Covid vaccine are too costly

On Tuesday Greece rolled out its first vaccination mandate order targeting the elderly portion of the population, with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announcing in a televised statement that the COVID-19 jab will now be required by law for people aged 60 and over.

He cited the national “vigilance” now required as the new omicron variant has emerged, and also lamented the huge numbers of still unvaccinated elderly in the country. But more shocking is the penalty unveiled for not being in compliance, which he says will take effect starting next year.

The prime minister said that for every month citizens 60-years and up go without a coronavirus vaccine, they will be slapped with a 100-euro ($114) fine. The opposition left-wing Syriza party slammed the government for in effect shifting its own failings and blame for pandemic woes onto the common people.

It said in a statement that Athens is now “targeting people over 60, with punitive and financially debilitating measures that haven’t been implemented anywhere else in the world.”