Greek Prime Minister Says No Need To Introduce Lockdown Despite Surge In COVID-19 Cases

ATHENS (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 23rd October, 2021) The Greek government sees no need to close the country's economy again and introduce tough measures over the increase in the number of daily COVID-19 cases, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said on Friday.

"We have the ultimate weapon at our disposal to win the battle against the coronavirus. This is the vaccine. The government will not stop convincing those who are still skeptical about the vaccine. We will not stop trying to persuade our fellow citizens. On the contrary. We must use all the means at our disposal and, if necessary, keep using them a thousand times," Mitsotakis said at a briefing after the EU summit in Brussels, broadcast by ERT.

A journalist asked Mitsotakis if the Greek cabinet is planning to toughen restrictions, given that the country is seeing an average of 3,500 news cases a day, and recalled that the prime minister has repeatedly insisted that the closing of the economy was not in the cards.

"I will repeat this today as well," the prime minister answered.

He stressed that the majority of people currently in ICU and on ventilators have not been vaccinated, calling the situation a "pandemic of the unvaccinated." However, Mitsotakis noted that he will not close the country over this issue as the government has taken measures to protect those at risk, including older people and those not yet vaccinated.

The Greek prime minister further urged those who are still hesitant to get the shot as soon as possible.