On Wednesday, the Greek General Secretariat for Civil Protection announced in a statement that from this Friday, they have banned all religious processions, open-air markets and even parties on the cosmopolitan island of Mykonos and the region of Halkidiki after a steep rise in the number of coronavirus cases.
As of Friday, and for the next ten days, no more than nine people are allowed to gather together in one place and there is a limit if only four people dining together at a restaurant unless they are members of the same immediate family. In that case, up to six members may sit and dine together.
The use of facemasks — both indoors and outdoors — will also be mandatory from Friday onward, for the next ten days.
These measures are in addition to the continuing curfew placed on bars, which must close their doors between midnight and 7 AM.
These stricter measures will be in effect from Friday, August 21 until 6 AM Monday, August 31. All measures were arrived at during an extraordinary meeting called by Vassilis Papgeorgiou, the Secretary General of Civil Protection. Epidemiologist Dr. Sotiris Tsiodras was consulted on the new measures.
It was also noted in the announcement that the Greek Ministry of Finance has allowed for the suspension of employment contracts for all affected companies.
These much more stringent measures may be enforced by special units of the Greek Army and the National Transparency Authority in order to see that they are being properly observed.
This is a developing story.
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