No real relaxation on Covid’s 2nd anniversary

Saturday marked the second anniversary of the first case of the coronavirus in Greece and people have been longing for a return to normalcy.

But experts warn that while the end of the acute phase of the pandemic is near – for the vaccinated, that is – the much-desired “normalcy” will simply mean that each person will be able to make their own decisions on whether to wear a mask, depending on the places they visit, or attend a gathering of many people, depending on their own health and that of those close to them.

The virus will not magically disappear, but will continue to mutate and sometimes lead to case spikes. The emergency, in a sense, is lasting and what matters is that we never forget the lessons, and the alertness, of these two years, the experts say.

And, crucially, a quarter of the population remain unvaccinated, while just over half have received a booster shot.