ATHENS – Switching gears, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is said to be considering more measures to slow the spread of COVID-19 ahead of the holiday season where people gather for celebrations and shopping.

That is also being driven by the apperance of the contagious, if milder, Omicron Variant from South Africa that was renamed to prevent stigmas on countries where new versions of the Coronavirus appear.

Responding to a journalist’s question ahead of a meeting of European Union U leaders in Brussels on Dec. 16, Mitsotakis said he was “worried” about Omicron data.

“The only response to Omicron is to accelerate the vaccination program – which we are doing by making the booster dose available earlier,” he said, reported Kathimerini.

“If we need to take additional measures and carry out more tests, this will happen over Christmas in order to buy more time and protect the population (by administering) the booster shot,” he said.

He didn’t specify what they would be after having already directed that anti-vaxxers spreading the Coronavirus couldn’t be admitted to most public gathering spots except supermarkets, pharmacies and churches.

He also had ruled out any further lockdowns as he turned his attention toward speeding an economic recovery nor has he, as he said he would, consider mandatory vaccations to slow the pandemic.

Greece’ vaccination scheme stalled at around 62 percent of the population of 10.7 million since the summer, far below the 70 percent that health advisors said was needed to slow the virus.

But it has picked up again as people apparently frightened by rising numbers of cases, hospitalizations, in public hospital Intensive Care Units (ICUs) and deaths, and more lining up for third booster shots and now children 5-11 getting the shots as well.