0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
‘The system isn’t working’: the expats in Greece who can’t book Covid jabsIn a country where the inoculation drive is linked to ownership of a social security number, many have slipped through the netOn Hydra, the Greek isle long famous for an artistic community that once included Leonard Cohen, expatriates are not having a good pandemic.Roger Green, a British writer who has lived on the island since the early 90s, says some older islanders are afraid to leave their homes.“The vaccination process has passed us by,” he said. “I know people like me who are in their eighties and are afraid to go out at all. We’re not complainers, we love Greece but for most foreigners here, at least, the system isn’t working.”Hydra is far from being alone. In a country that has linked its inoculation drive to ownership of a social security (AMKA) number, countless overseas residents have reported being in the same predicament. Although desperate to have the jab, many say without the number they’ve been unable even to get to the stage where they can book a vaccine appointment.An attempt by the Greek government to resolve the oversight – passing legislation earlier this month that allows foreigners to obtain temporary AMKA registration – has largely failed to address the problem. The law applies to permanent residents and those who have elected to see out the pandemic in Greece.“Almost no AMKA numbers granted in the 2021 calendar year actually work on the vaccine website.”Meanwhile, the prospect of Greece reopening for tourism in May frightens Green – and many others.As of this week the Greek government has dropped quarantine rules for citizens flying in from the EU and five other countries, including the UK.“The idea of tourists arriving en masse when we haven’t been vaccinated ourselves is frankly terrifying,” said Green.
Greece to found new school for construction and preservation of iconic Kaiki boatsThe Greek Ministry of Culture and Sports has announced the implementation of a comprehensive and sustainable plan for the preservation of the wooden shipbuilding art behind traditional Greek boats known as Kaiki.