The Greek government has decided to go into a three-week general lockdown in order to stop the rapid spreading of coronavirus. Greek prime minister Kiriakos Mitsotakis announced that new, unpopular measures start on Saturday, November 7th. The new restrictions include all retail businesses closing, except for pharmacies and supermarkets. Also, citizens will need an SMS permit to go outside. However primary school will remain open.
Two city areas in the north of the country (Thessaloniki and Seres) already have had severe two-week restrictions since Monday, November 2nd. It includes curfew from 9 pm to 5 am and suspension of all domestic and international flights to and from Thessaloniki for 14 days.
Unexpected sights can be seen all over Greece as the Greeks rushed to the hairdressers’. They are so busy and so packed that the government has allowed them to stay open this weekend as well.
Greece has reported fewer cases than most European countries but the government has chosen to implement these measures due to a recent sharp increase in new infections. The total number of people infected with COVID 19 is almost 47 000, and 673 people have died. The national health institutions are under a lot of pressure and the Government decided to intervene now (“sooner rather than later”).
In order to keep its citizens informed and give them some kind of control, the government has introduced a new interactive map (covid19.gov.gr) where everybody can find information about epidemiological circumstances all over Greece.
