ATHENS – Greek health care workers required to be vaccinated or be suspended without pay will need two weekly COVID-19 tests if they haven’t gotten booster shots yet.

There are some 10,000 of them among 324,000 people in the country whose vaccination certificates expired Feb. 7 unless they had a booster as well, which is a third shot, except for those who had a single-shot version from the American company Johnson & Johnson.

The health care workers will have to pay for their own rapid tests which can cost up to 10 euros ($11.42) for each, which would make their monthly costs as much as 80 euros ($91.35) until they get a booster.

The only other sector in Greece required to be vaccinated is those over 60 who are being fined 100 euros ($114.19) until they do, amount taken out of monthly benefits for pensioners, no word how it’s done for wage earners.

Health Minister Thanos Plevris said the health care workers who haven’t had a booster shot can keep working and won’t be suspended, said Kathimerini, although those unvaccinated at will be fired starting April 1.

“No one is putting those who have received two doses in the same position as those who have not been vaccinated at all,” he said, adding that “those who have received two doses of the vaccine are also vaccinated,” but unrecognized.