Government seeking to vaccinate all islanders by end-June
As Greece prepares to welcome travelers from the European Union and other parts of the world on its safe list, the government is ramping up efforts to increase Covid vaccination coverage on the country’s islands, which receive the bulk of summer tourism.
A vaccination drive is already under way at dozens of islands with a population of below 10,000 residents; now the objective is to expand it to bigger islands, with a population above that number.
“The aim is the universal and full vaccination of all permanent residents on the islands by the end of June at the latest,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said after a meeting on the subect at his office on Tuesday.
He added that the government’s campaign, dubbed “Blue Freedom,” will also have a favorable impact on the country’s tourism profile as a whole.
Key to the campaign’s success is the use of the Johnson & Johnson one-shot vaccine, which will be rolled out on 19 islands as soon as possible.
According to government figures, the residents of 32 islands have already been vaccinated against Covid-19 and those of another 36 islands will be innoculated by the end of this month.
The meeting hosted by Mitsotakis also addressed the further lifting of restrictions aimed at curbing the virus, with announcements on that front expected on Wednesday, at the Health Ministry’s regular public briefing.
