New COVID restrictions introduced in Greece’s regions

Ioannina, Serres, Larissa, Rodopi and Thessaloniki have gone into semi-lockdowns amid a surge of infections

After having dealt with the first wave of COVID-19 in an exceptional manner, Greek authorities are now scrambling to keep their record clean. Unfortunately, their efforts have so far not been as successful as they were at the start of the pandemic with many parts of the country registering record-breaking numbers of infections.

These developments have, of course, led to appropriate reactions – which can be observed in real-time via Greece’s interactive COVID-19 map. The latest regions to join the ranks of the “red zone” are Ioannina, Serres and Thessaloniki.

Measured response to protect the economy

The main lesson derived from the first wave of the pandemic was that nation-wide solutions are pointless and extremely harmful to the economy. Thus, the Greek government has been imposing targeted semi-lockdowns that aim to keep as many businesses as possible open for longer, thus both protecting the lives of citizens, as well as their jobs.

After Greece registered record-breaking numbers of infections earlier this week, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced that the entirety of Thessaloniki will be going into a semi-lockdown. Registered as a level 4 threat, a curfew has been imposed in the city, between 12:30 AM and 5:00 AM. In a departure from the government’s spring policies, however, schools and shops will remain open.

Ioannina and Serres have also gone into lockdown with a lighter touch. On top of the same curfew, all public and private gathering have been suspended, as have been the operations of cultural and hospitality venues. Not only that but travel outside of these regional units has also been banned while the lockdown remains in place.

According to the PM Mitsotakis, the next two weeks will be crucial in the country’s fights against COVID-19, as the healthcare system is placed under enormous pressure and is unlikely to hold if citizens do not keep to the rules.