ATHENS – With vaccinations slowly making the COVID-19 pandemic retreat in Greece, masks may soon no longer be mandatory except for indoor areas and crowded spots as health officials weigh the risks.

Microbiology professor Alkiviadis Vatopoulos, a member of the government's advisory panel of doctors and scientists told SKAI TV the drop in cases is indicating it will be safe for people not to wear masks in most areas.

“By early 2022, we will be treating the coronavirus like the flu,” Vatopoulos said, though he said there could be a third wave of COVID in the autumn that would coincide with fly seasondid not rule out the likelihood of a fresh wave in the fall, mostly affect the unvaccinated.

He also said emerging variants are the likely cause of resistance to vaccines that could be adopted to deal with them and that booster shots in the cards later this year could deal with that.