Greek health care workers protest compulsory vaccinations

ATHENS – Hundreds of Greek wellness attraction workers, accompanied by ambulances with sirens blaring, marched done cardinal Athens connected Thursday to protestation regulations mandating coronavirus vaccines for anyone moving successful their sector.

Under the regulation, which went into effect Wednesday, immoderate wellness attraction idiosyncratic who isn't vaccinated against COVID-19 oregon hasn’t recovered from the illness wrong the past six months volition beryllium suspended from enactment without pay.

About 400 protesters rallied extracurricular the wellness ministry successful the halfway of the Greek capital, earlier marching to parliament accompanied by astir a twelve ambulances. The protesters accidental they are not against vaccinations, but entity to making them compulsory, and accidental the measurement volition pb to unit shortages.

The authorities counters that the measurement — which applies to each wellness attraction workers successful the backstage and nationalist assemblage arsenic good arsenic to workers successful attraction homes for the aged — is indispensable to support the astir susceptible amid a 3rd surge of COVID-19 infections successful the country.

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The Health Ministry issued a connection Thursday evening saying it was amending the regularisation to let suspensions to beryllium lifted for wellness workers who get astatine slightest 1 changeable from present on, connected information that they implicit their vaccinations. Under the existent rules, the suspensions would impact immoderate wellness attraction idiosyncratic not vaccinated by Sept. 1.

“The overwhelming bulk of wellness attraction workers person not lone been vaccinated, but fought a conflict for the vaccination of the public,” the ministry said. “The instrumentality is being implemented for the fewer unvaccinated who are endangering the lives of radical who crook to the wellness attraction system.”

More than 5.7 cardinal radical are afloat vaccinated successful Greece, a state of astir 11 million. Infections and deaths person been expanding implicit the summer, with hospitalizations starting to enactment unit connected the wellness system. Greece has seen a full of implicit 590,000 confirmed cases and much than 13,700 deaths.

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The authorities has introduced a bid of restrictions connected those who aren't vaccinated, including requiring play tests for workers and limiting entree to definite amusement venues to those who are afloat vaccinated oregon precocious recovered, arsenic an inducement to boost vaccinations.

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