The Greek government announced on Friday that it will provide, free of charge, the Covid-19 vaccine to all Greek citizens and face masks for all pupils and teaching staff when schools open in September.

The Covid-19 vaccine will be free of charge for all Greeks once it becomes available, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced during a regular meeting on the developments concerning coronavirus.

“I want to be absolutely clear, the vaccine will be available free of charge to all Greek citizens. We do not yet know if it will be one (shot) or if there will be more. We do not know when we will have it at our disposal. We hope sooner rather than later,” he said.

“But whenever we have the vaccine at our disposal, it will be available free of charge, for all Greek citizens.”

Earlier on Friday, Interior Minister Takis Theodorikakos said that “following a decision by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and in consultation with the committee of experts, we are preparing to meet the needs for masks of all students through local authorities.”

He added that masks will be offered to all students, at all levels of education, in all schools in Greece. Local authorities will be given a special extraordinary grant of 15.2 million euros to cover the cost.

The move follows criticism by opposition parties and parents’ organizations that poor families may not be able to afford the extra cost of face masks.

Also on Friday, the Minister of Education Niki Kerameos clarified that the use of the mask will be mandatory only in the classroom. “Outdoors, in the gym or during breaks, students of any age will not need to wear a mask, unless there is overcrowding,” she added.