Row over vaccines, self test kits emerge in Greek Parliament
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A disagreement has emerged between Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and SYRIZA opposition party leader Alexis Tsipras over self-test kits and vaccination concerns during a parliament meeting, local newspaper Kathimerini reported.
The prime minister spoke in the parliament on Friday saying that the goal of the government is to "reach Easter safer and the summer more free" in reference to recent COVID-19 restrictions in place for the residents. He also added that at this stage, restaurants will only be due to open after the Easter holidays which Greece will celebrate on Sunday May 2.
Greece was forced to tighten COVID-19 restrictions in an attempt to combat the surge in cases over recent months, with hospitals in the worse affected areas around Athens struggling to cope.
During the meeting, Mitsotakis said that be there any "thoughts, suggestions, ideas on how self-test kits can be better used," the government was ready "to discuss them and where necessary adjust [their] strategy".
Opposition party leader Tsipras stepped in and criticized the government's vaccine rollout plan saying that other countries such as Germany found alternative sources of vaccine supply, however the prime minister added that Tsipras's statement was irrelevant as Germany was "way behind" Greece in vaccine rollouts.
"I will hurry to be the first to say that of course mistakes were made," the prime minister said adding, however, that the only policy option that will succeed in the Greek government is that of realism.
The first batch of COVID19 self test kits was delivered to Greece on Friday and will be distributed to local pharmacies as of April 7. Greece has administered nearly 1.7 million COVID19 shots so far and aims to complete another 1.5 million by the end of April.
