Vassilis Kikilias

Amid global concern over the emergence of mutated strains of the coronavirus, the Health Ministry in Athens has announced the creation of a nationwide network for the systematic monitoring of these variants.

Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias announced on Friday that the ministry will establish a nationwide surveillance and alert network to monitor mutated strains of SARS-CoV-2.

This will create more accurate epidemiological data that will help the government make better decisions for the protection of public health, Kikilias said after a meeting on the issue at the ministry.

A total of 26 cases of the new Covid-19 variant have been registered in Greece so far, Panagiotis Arkoumaneas, president of the National Public Organization Health (EODY), said on Friday.

The figure was made public as Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias held an emergency meeting with epidemiology experts at the Health Ministry to discuss how the new strain can be contained.

Greek health officials will meet on Friday to discuss how to contain the new coronavirus variants.

Following the vaccination of employees at public hospitals and nursing homes, the first phase of inoculations against Covid-19 includes private sector doctors and dentists, based on the prioritization list set by the National Vaccination Committee for the vaccination of health personnel, Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias said on Friday.

The Education Ministry confirmed on Thursday that kindergartens, elementary schools and special education schools will reopen on January 11.

Meanwhile, middle and high schools will resume online classes on Friday.

Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias on Tuesday called for the resignation of the director of a public hospital in central Greece for circulating an unauthorized consent form to staff slated to receive the coronavirus vaccination.

Staff at an additional 40 hospitals will be admitted into Greece's coronavirus vaccination drive starting Monday and another 36 will join on January 11, according to Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias.

The ministry's aim, he said in a briefing last week, is to have more than 60,000 health workers immunized against Covid-19 by January 20.

Citing the latest data, Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias warned that there has been a spike in the number of coronavirus cases reported over the last week in Kalymnos, Kozani, Kilkis, West Attica, Evros, Thassos, Florina, Rodopi, Lesvos and Xanthi.

Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias received a Covid-19 vaccine at the capital's Evangelismos Hospital on Monday.

"The vaccine is freedom," he said, urging the public to get vaccinated "so that we can get our lives back."