Suspension of health workers' duties lifted with the first or only dose of the vaccine

Increasing the penalties for anyone involved in extradition false vaccination certificates against COVID-19, provided for, inter alia, in amendment of the Ministry of Health submitted in a bill of the Ministry of Interior and voted on today.

In particular, in addition to the other sanctions, it is imposed, an administrative fine of EUR 5 000:

(a) anyone who attempts or succeeds in obtaining a vaccination certificate when he or she has not been vaccinated; or sickness certificate when he is not ill, and

(b) the official or any person who has been assigned a vaccination task and is involved in issuing a false vaccination certificate.

Mandatory vaccination

The suspension of duties imposed in the case of non-compliance with the vaccination obligation for employees of public sector bodies is lifted, by making the first or the single dose, provided that the vaccination cycle is completed within the prescribed time, instead of 14 days after completion of the vaccination, as is currently the case.

The obligation to vaccinate against coronavirus with the first or the only dose until 30 September 21, to students of study programmes of the Schools of Health Sciences of Higher Educational Institutions (HEIs) is imposed.), students of the Institutes of Vocational Training (I.V.T.) and Colleges, who participate in any kind of training process carried out in hospitals of the National Health System, university hospitals and private health care institutions.

Included in the employers, which are obliged to refuse to accept the employment in health care facilities, care facilities for the elderly and disabled, of any worker who does not comply with the vaccination requirement, any employer for all its staff, including staff borrowed from it or employed by it through temporary employment agencies, and service providers - contractors for the staff they employ in the context of the performance of a service contract.

An administrative fine shall be imposed on private persons liable for vaccination who work in the facilities as freelance workers in breach of this obligation:

a) EUR 10,000 for each infringement and up to EUR 50,000; and

b) in case of recidivism, 20,000 euros for each violation and up to 200,000 euros and the following sanctions are imposed: - any contract of the professional with the National Health Service Provision Organization (E.O.P.Y.Y.) and the public insurance funds is automatically terminated without prejudice to the State, from the date of confirmation of the violation.

The ability to prescribe and fill e-prescriptions electronically is suspended.

Professionals providing medical services in private primary health care facilities (private practices, pharmacies) are required to affix a document to the external door of the facility informing patients that all employees of the facility have been vaccinated and failure to comply with this obligation is punishable by an administrative fine of 300 euros.

Also, the amendment provides for the extension until 31 December 2021, the validity of the provisions concerning: the availability of self-diagnostic tests for coronavirus through pharmacies free of charge by the beneficiaries, the mandatory screening of employees for coronavirus, the submission of pupils, students, students and trainees to screening for coronavirus in the educational process.

The maximum chargeable price, not including VAT, is fixed for coronavirus antigen detection test by the rapid test method the amount of EUR 10 (for sampling and sample analysis), instead of EUR 10 for sampling and an additional EUR 10 for sample analysis, as is currently the case.