Greece tightens COVID measures for non-vaccinated

Greek health officials on Tuesday announced tighter measures for the non-vaccinated and heavier fines for non-compliance in response to a surge in coronavirus cases.

From Saturday, anyone who has not been vaccinated against the virus will need to provide a negative COVID test before they can enter public buildings, shops and banks, the health ministry announced.

Workers in both the public and private sectors will have to provide negative tests twice a week, at their own expense.

And the fines levied against shops and restaurants which fail to respect the measures imposed by the government have been doubled to 5,000 euros ($5,800).

"Our main weapon against the pandemic is the vaccine," said Health Minister Thanos Plevris. Any vaccinated people who had their last dose more than six months ago should get a booster shot, he added.

According to health ministry figures, 63 percent of the population has been vaccinated, but on Tuesday the country recorded a record 6,700 new cases and 59 deaths from the virus.

So far in Greece, the total death toll from the coronavirus stands at just over 16,000.