Filenews 5 October 2021
Given that vaccination coverage with at least the 1st dose has reached 81.1% of the adult population and at the same time the percentage of fully vaccinated adults is at 78.4%, the Ministry of Health has proceeded to re-evaluate the conditions for the issuance of SafePass.
As stated in a statement by the Ministry, during the audit carried out, it emerged from the databases that about 11,000 people have been vaccinated with the 1st dose, but have not subsequently proceeded to vaccination with the 2nd dose. Vaccination with only one dose, according to scientific data, offers lower coverage, while not protecting equally effectively from mutations of the virus.
Therefore, it was deemed necessary to make the necessary modifications to the condition for the issuance of SafePass for vaccination. Specifically, by decision of the Council of Ministers, from October 18, only fully vaccinated individuals will be able to issue SafePass (vaccination with both doses of vaccine or with the monododosic vaccine of Janssen).
Therefore, citizens who received the 1st dose and the time required for the 2nd dose has elapsed (3 weeks for the Pfizer/BioNTech vaccine, 4 weeks for Moderna's vaccine and 8 weeks for the AstraZeneca vaccine) are urged to vaccinate by October 17 at the walk-in vaccination centres operating nationwide.
Those individuals who do not wish to proceed with the reception of the 2nd dose, from October 18 onwards, for SafePass purposes, should possess a negative result from a PCR test or rapid antigen test with a validity of 72 hours. People who will not complete their vaccination regimen after the lapse of the days required between the 1st and 2nd doses, should conduct a PCR test or rapid antigen test at their own expense in private pharmacies or clinical laboratories.
The above regulation will be included in a Decree to be issued in the coming days.
Finally, it is clarified that the conditions for the issuance of SafePass with a certificate of recovery from COVID-19 in the last 6 months and with a certificate of negative test (PCR or rapid antigen test) with a validity of 72 hours, are not affected and continue to apply as they are.
