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France and Greece have both announced plans to mandate coronavirus vaccinations for health-care workers as the more virulent delta variant gains ground across Europe, threatening nations that had gotten a grasp of the virus through vaccination, The Associated Press reported. 

French President Emmanuel Macron said in a televised address Monday that France was “facing a strong resumption of the epidemic” and that a slowing vaccination campaign could lead to rising hospitalizations later this summer.

“The equation is simple. The more we vaccinate, the less space we leave this virus to circulate,” he said.

Health Minister Olivier Véran said that health-care workers must now be inoculated by Sep. 15 — or face suspension without pay. The delta variant now accounts for about half of new infections in France, where most restrictions were recently lifted after months of lockdown.

Meanwhile, Greece also announced mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for workers and staff in some specific sectors.  

As Reuters reported, the country's bio-ethics committee last month recommended compulsory shots for health workers and staff at elderly care facilities "as a last resort measure" to be used after a certain time if efforts to encourage inoculation proved ineffective.

"The government...has got the relevant recommendation by the national bio-ethics committee regarding mandatory vaccinations for specific professional groups," government spokeswoman Aristotelia Peloni told a briefing on Thursday.