Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis made an announcement on Wednesday outlining Greece’s roadmap out of lockdown. According to current information, Greece will be almost entirely out of lockdown — which has been ongoing since last November — by mid-May.
Three-step plan out of lockdown
In his announcement, Mitsotakis outlined a three-step process to ease lockdown restrictions in Greece.
The first step in getting Greece back to normal is the opening of cafes and restaurants to outdoor dining, which is to occur on Monday, May 3. The curfew will also be loosened to restrict travel only between 11:00 PM and 5:00 AM.
There will be multiple safeguards in place for dining, including mandatory coronavirus self-testing for employees, a specific distance between tables, and all other hygiene measures.
The second step is the resumption of in-person schooling on May 10th for middle school and elementary school students. Coronavirus self-testing will also be used to facilitate this part of easing the lockdown, with testing expected for students and staff.
The third and final move is to allow tourism to resume completely on May 14th. Visitors from abroad who have been vaccinated or have a negative coronavirus test will be allowed into the country. Furthermore, interregional travel within Greece will also be legal.
Greece to remain vigilant through easing of lockdown
Mitsotakis warned against Greeks becoming careless about the coronavirus now that the restrictions will be lifted soon. He highlighted that the country’s epidemiological situation is stabilizing, despite high cases numbers and intubations.
One of the most important ways the public can help keep coronavirus infections down according to the Prime Minister is to obey laws prohibiting travel during Easter. Due to the high case levels in Athens and other cities, the ban on inter-regional travel cannot be lifted until after Easter.
This is part of Greece’s all-important plan to have a lockdown-free and safe summer.
Vaccinations key to getting Greece out of lockdown
Another line of defense against coronavirus and an important part of the plan to allow Greeks out of lockdown is a faster vaccination process.
To achieve this, vaccinations will be made available for all those 30 and over by Greece’s Holy Week, May 3, and these will proceed very quickly, Mitsotakis announced.
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