ATHENS – After opening to tourists, allowing anti-vaxxers privileges in public gathering spots and easing health measures, Greece can expect a jump in COVID-19 cases this summer, health officials said.

But they blamed it on the Omicron variant that has long been around and not the New Democracy government easing health measures in a bid to accelerate an economic recovery during the pandemic.

The goverbment’s advisory panel of doctors and scientists said the likely spike won’t  be severe and didn’t expect any serious increases in hospitalizations, people on ventilators in public hospitals or deaths, said Kathimerini.

There was an increase in the number of new infections and the rate of positive tests, while a small increase in hospitalizations and the advisors said Omicron subvariants are now in play and spreading the Coronavirus.

Those seem to not be affected by either vaccinations or the body developing antibodies through infections although it’s the unvaccinated who are continuing to spread the virus.