With the onset of winter and with flu season on the horizon, Greek authorities have become even more active in repeating that a new full lockdown might not be out of the question if the rapidly deteriorating epidemiological situation does not quickly improve. According to officials, measures that have been taken over the last few months have not been as effective as planned and many citizens have disregarded rules and restrictions thus allowing the virus to spread around the country at a rapid pace.
Preparing for the worst
Over the course of the summer, the Greek government implemented a strategy of targeted mini-lockdowns and measures that were meant to stifle coronavirus hotspots without resulting in a massive countrywide slowdown. Authorities, however, fear that such measures might not be enough in the near future as the virus has shown no signs of abating and continues to spread alarmingly fast.
Thus, the introduction and implementation of a full lockdown, similar to the one enforced earlier this spring, is by no means out of the question. With the increase in cases slowly burdening the Greek healthcare system, the country is slowly heading to a tipping point.
Right now, the government is working on developing its anti-COVID measures in order to avoid a full lockdown. One of the priorities is the provision of additional ICU beds in hospitals in order to allow them to take in more patients.
The other axis on which the government is focusing its efforts in its coordination with municipalities and the implementation of rules on a municipal level. Should working with the municipalities not lead to sufficient results, however, centralized planning and decision-making will become the new norm.
Finally, in order to help citizens better prepare and keep track of all the different restrictions around the country, the Greek government has announced that it is in the final stages of developing an online platform that will allow for users to see what kind of measures are in place where they live simply by typing in the relevant postcode.
Source: TheMayor.EU
