Athens, Sep 3 (IANS): Approximately 10,000 health workers across Greece who have not been vaccinated against Covid-19 will be suspended from work without payment as part of measures aimed at curbing the spread of the virus as the country faces the fourth wave of the pandemic.

The Panhellenic Federation of Public Hospital Employees (POEDIN) said on Thursday that doctors, nurses, administrative personnel and other staff members at public and private hospitals, clinics and diagnostic centres were given a September 1 deadline to get their shots, as their vaccination was made mandatory, reports Xinhua news agency.

More than 90 per cent of the country's doctors and 80 per cent of nurses have been inoculated, but a few still refuse to get vaccinated citing health issues or other reasons.

POEDIN and other labour unions have urged their members to get vaccinated and organised work stoppages and protests outside hospitals.

To date, over 5.7 million people, or 63 per cent of Greece's adult population, have been fully vaccinated, the Health Ministry said.

Adding pressure on the remaining unvaccinated segments of society to make the decision, the government has announced that between September 13 and April 2022, they will face restrictions in the workplace, schools, entertainment venues, sports halls, gyms and during travel, and will have to bear the cost of regular PCR (polymerase chain reaction) or rapid tests.

Greece has so far reported 593,668 coronavirus cases and 13,702 deaths till date.