Greece to issue gift cards worth EUR 150 for vaccinated young adults

The Freedom Pass will act as an incentive for people (ages 18-25) to get their COVID vaccine

At a presentation on Monday 28 June, the Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced that the government will reward young people between the ages of 18 and 25 who have taken their first dose of the COVID vaccine. More specifically, they will be gifted a prepaid card (“Freedom Pass”) worth EUR 150 to spend on services in the culture and tourism sectors.

The Prime Minister commented on the government’s decision, explaining that this card is both a show of gratitude as well as an incentive. “The time has come for the State to reward the effort of a category of citizens that was particularly tested during these 16 months and I am referring to our approximately 940,000 young people from 18 to 25 years old.”

Taking this further, he noted that this group has seen their studies disrupted and their friends taken away. Now, those who have taken their first shot of the COVID vaccine will be rewarded for their efforts to help Greece fight the pandemic. This card, according to the Prime Minister, is “a debt to the youth, a gift of gratitude, especially in the coming summer, a thank you for their patience and perseverance.”

What is the Freedom Pass and how does it work?

To reiterate, young people born between 1996 and 2003 will be able to benefit from a prepaid card if they have been (or will be) injected with the first dose of the COVID vaccine. The Freedom Pass will be issued 24 hours after vaccination and can be used to purchase various culture and tourism services.

Expanding on these services, the Prime Minister explained that the card covers domestic air, ferry, rail, and road travel. In addition to this, one can also use the gift card for car rental, accommodation, camping, and travel agency services. Furthermore, those who prefer cultural activities can benefit from tickets for plays, film screenings, concerts, dance events, museums, and archaeological sites.

The Freedom Pass will be available from mid-July. Young people will be able to access it via their mobile phones or get it in physical form if they do not have smart phones.

Greece vaccinates around 100,000 citizens per day

According to the Deputy Minister in charge of Coordination of Government Work Akis Skertsos, the country is doing better than most member states in the European Union. That is, Greece ranks 7^th in terms of the percentage of vaccinated citizens.

It is hoped that this Freedom Pass will act as an incentive for those who have not yet been vaccinated. With such schemes and projects, Greece proves that it is committed to building mass immunity and winning the fight against the COVID crisis.