NEWS

Protection shield around health workers

Protection shield around health workers

Greece’s vaccination program against Covid-19 at 56 public hospitals around the country is picking up momentum, as more than 5,000 jabs were administered on Tuesday to health workers for a second consecutive day, according to initial estimates by the Health Ministry. 

That number is expected to increase from Friday, when an additional 55 National Health System hospitals will be included in the vaccination program – and even more from next Tuesday, when the vaccines will reach hospitals on the islands.

Also on Tuesday, vaccinations began at nursing homes in Thessaloniki, after launching in Athens on Monday. 

“The vaccination plan is proceeding normally and we will improve every day. It is an opportunity to be able to see on the spot how the program is going and to continuously upgrade our services, so that we can vaccinate as many health professionals and then our fellow citizens in the shortest possible time,” said Health Minister Vasilis Kikilias, who visited the vaccination center at the capital’s Agios Savvas cancer treatment hospital, where at least 620 staff are expected to have been vaccinated by the end of the week.

However, there have been some glitches along the way as the inclusion of hospitals in the vaccination program in three different phases and the changes in planning procedures that were announced at the end of last week created some disruptions, with the representatives of doctors and other employees complaining about unjustified postponements of vaccinations.

At the same time, the latest epidemiological data remained a cause for concern on Tuesday. 

With about 32,000 tests conducted on Tuesday (molecular and rapid antigen), 928 new infections were announced, of which 324 were in Attica, 99 in Thessaloniki, 55 in Rodopi, 36 in Viotia, 33 in Larissa and 32 in Kozani. A total of 405 patients were intubated, while 40 more deaths were announced.

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