This will cover tickets for travel, expenses for hotels, but also the entrance fee to places of culture such as concert venues, cinemas, theatres and museums.
The process will be extremely simple. The card will be created with the social security number of each young person who receives a Covid-19 vaccine in 2021. That is, it concerns all young people who have already been vaccinated as well as those who get the vaccine form now on.
Announcing the initiative on Monday, the Greek government stated the prepaid card will act as an incentive to increase the number of inoculations in the country.
The card, dubbed the “freedom pass” by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, will cover costs in travel and entertainment, such as plane and ferry tickets, hotel bookings, music, theatre and cinema, museums and archaeological sites.
Presenting the card at the start of a meeting with ministers on Monday, the prime minister said he acknowledged the toll the long months of lockdown have had on the social life of young people.
“This is a debt to our youth, a gift of gratitude, particularly ahead of the summer. [It is] a ‘thank you’ for their patience and perseverance,” he told the ministers at the televised message.
“At the same time, however, it is also an incentive for young people in particular to be vaccinated, who, by their very nature, contribute more to movement. And the more they are shielded [against the virus], the more we will limit the transmission of the virus.”
Mitsotakis said this is especially true as countries are facing the more transmissible Delta variant of the coronavirus, which targets primarily those who have not been vaccinated “but is threatening everyone.”
Those who take up the offer will be able to submit their application for the card though the government online platform gov.gr a day after they receive their first dose, Digital Policy Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis said at the presentation. The card will be available by the end of July.
Culture Minister Lina Mendoni and Tourism Minister Haris Theocharis were also taking part in the presentation.
