Greek Gov’t to go ahead with job suspension for unvaccinated health workers as of September 1

Health workers in both public and private sector will get no extension to their obligation to be vaccinated, State Minister Akis Skertsos said on Monday in an interview on Skai TV, adding that they still have time to be vaccinated.

“I hear what the health workers say, that they believe in the vaccine and want to do it. We are saying that they have time both today and tomorrow – those few thousands who remain unvaccinated, mainly – they still have time to set an appointment and go get vaccinated today or tomorrow. Since they believe this, there will be no problem with their jobs or the function of the National Health System (NHS),” Skertsos said.

But “there is no option for an extension,” he added, as “the obligation to be vaccinated formally goes into effect on September 1. Those who remain unvaccinated will unfortunately have to be removed from their positions.”

Earlier in the day, government spokesman Yiannis Economou also reminded reporters during the daily briefing of the September 1 deadline. “The law the foresees suspension of duties for all those who have not completed at least one dose will be applied. It will be applied to the iota.” He also said that people who are suspended may not return to the same jobs necessarily if they decided to become vaccinated later, “since the nature, needs and organization of NHS will have changed to a certain degree.”

The measures are not punitive, he insisted, but “will protect the entire community, vaccinated or not.” He asserted that the Ministry of Health has taken all necessary measures to deal with problems arising from job suspensions.

Source: amna.gr