With the rise of coronavirus infections in Greece, authorities have unveiled and put into effect new rules and restrictions meant to curb the spread of the disease. The harshest of these new regulations will be in effect for Greek regions that are considered at “orange” or “red” risk levels – you can find out more about the country’s designation procedure and what it means in our rundown on its new interactive COVID-19 map.
Keeping up the record
During the first wave of COVID-19 earlier this spring, Greece was celebrated as one of the countries that had the best responses to the disease. Now, with their latest announced measures, the government of Kyriakos Mitsotakis aims to continue this trend.
The new rules were announced earlier this week on Thursday but come into effect today, Saturday 24 October. They cover two main topics – namely mask-wearing and curfews for some parts of the country.
In terms of mask-wearing, the rules are fairly straightforward. Comparing them to “vaccines before we have an actual vaccine”, they will be mandatory in all indoor and outdoor spaces across Greece – on top of the already existing stipulations for social distancing and hygienic requirements.
When it comes to the curfew, however, it will be active only in areas that are in the red or in the orange, according to the government’s designation scheme. It is already applied to Kozani and Kastoria, the regions that have been hit the hardest and have come into effect in Attica, Thessaloniki, Pella, Boeotia, Larissa, Serres, Achaia, Zakynthos, Heraklion, Thira, Karditsa, Kea-Kythnos, Lesvos, Mykonos, Samos and Trikala. The curfew includes a ban on going outside between 12:30 AM and 5:00 AM, with the exception of those in an emergency situation or those who work night shifts.
Should the situation continue to deteriorate and should the country’s youth, who make up the bulk of the new cases in Greece, continue to not follow the rules, it is not out of the question for new regulations to be put in place in the near future.
Source: TheMayor.EU
