Greece was the main point where the more than one million asylum seekers entered Europe in 2015
Greece was the main point where the more than one million asylum seekers entered Europe in 2015

In an incentive to get more people inoculated, Greece will lift some COVID restrictions to allow those who are vaccinated to enjoy music at bars and restaurants as well as life without a curfew.

The move to lift restrictions in Greece’s “red areas” with high COVID infections is a push to get more people vaccinated by showing them what they would be missing out on, which will also include bars, cinemas, theaters and other enclosed spaces.

“The philosophy is not that some people are being favored over others,” Greek health minister Thanasis Plevris said Wednesday at a news conference. “The measures for the unvaccinated are adequate. Those who are vaccinated can have greater freedoms.”

Only 60.4% of Greece’s population has one dose of the vaccine while 57.9% are fully vaccinated, according to Our World In Data.

Their decision to lift restrictions for vaccinated people will be reassessed in 15 days.

“There will be complete freedom for the vaccinated, no restrictions. The staff at restaurants and entertainment venues will take the necessary measures and will wear masks,” Plevris said.

This is not Greece’s first move to get more people vaccinated. In September, Europe's 13th-most populated country made vaccination mandatory for its healthcare workers.

Greece also introduced mandatory weekly testing for all public and private sector employees who will have to either pay for weekly tests or carry a vaccination card to gain access to their place of work, the Guardian.

As of Wednesday, there are almost 30,000 active COVID-19 cases in Greece, with about 2,200 new cases reported in the last 24 hours.