FAZ for COVID: Greece is not doing so badly, but there are those who are not vaccinated

On its website today, the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung dedicates an article on how Greece is dealing with the outbreak of the 4th wave of pandemics. The choice of country is not random. Greece has been a destination for German tourists for their holidays since the summer. In fact, as the columnist notes, “Greece is an even more popular destination for Germans than ever before, especially its islands. According to tour operator TUI, this summer Crete managed to replace Mallorca as the most popular travel destination. “However, the recovery of the Greek economy, which is largely linked to tourism, could be slowed by the pandemic.”

The German journalist describes the new, stricter measures of the Greek government, which target mainly the unvaccinated and the efforts it makes to persuade them to be vaccinated. He notes: “In terms of population, the number of new cases is not as high as in other countries of Central and Southeastern Europe, Croatia, Slovenia, Romania, Bulgaria or even Ukraine. But compared to other countries, such as Italy, France and even Germany is clearly very high; in terms of its vaccination campaign, Greece, in international comparison, is not doing so badly: According to the European Center for Disease Prevention and Control, 59% of its population is fully vaccinated. “The European average is 64%. But the concentration of unvaccinated people in the region is causing cases to skyrocket.” The newspaper also describes the “new freedoms” that apply to vaccinated and sick people. “Restrictions on the interiors of restaurants, gyms and nightclubs have been lifted since early October. Even entry bans by some states have been lifted, but some scientists have considered the measure premature,” he said.

DW – Irini Anastassopoulou