(Bloomberg) -- Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced mandatory Covid-19 vaccination for all Greeks above 60 years of age before a cabinet meeting in Athens on Tuesday, in an effort to tackle the new omicron variation threat ahead of the festive season.

Those who refuse to get vaccinated will have to pay a monthly fine of 100 euros ($114) for each month they don’t get jabbed, starting on Jan. 16, according to Mitsotakis. The funds collected by the fines will be given to Greek hospitals fighting the pandemic.

“It is not a punishment,” Mitsotakis said. “I would say it is a health fee.”

In Greece, only 60,000 among the 580,000 unvaccinated people over 60 years old received the vaccine in November.

Greece will also provide every adult with a free self-test during the Dec. 6-12 period and the Jan. 3-7 period, the Greek premier said. 

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