ATHENS

Greece’s health minister said Monday that health care professionals who fail to get fully vaccinated against COVID-19 by March 31 will be fired from the National Health System (ESY). 

Speaking on Skai TV, Thanos Plevris also clarified that by that date, there will be an overall measure on whether there must be obligatory vaccination for health care staff every year after the pandemic.

Plevris added that Greece will as of Feb. 7 require a booster shot to be considered fully vaccinated.

Health care workers have protested against mandatory vaccination by staging demonstrations in the capital Athens, while last December, nurses and doctors were warned of a three-month deadline to change their minds.

On the relaxation of measures that came into effect as of Monday, Plevris said it was decided after recommendations by a committee of experts as daily numbers have been dropping.

As of Monday, music will be resumed at food and entertainment venues, while they will operate for longer hours. Customers, however, will still have to remain seated and not standing.

Greece’s coronavirus figures have dropped over the past few days, with 11,124 new cases and 97 deaths recorded Sunday.

The country’s total number of infections has reached 1,920,992 and the death toll 23,372, according to authorities.