Gov’t is one step away from total lockdown, as Greeks defy restrictions (POLL)

March 22, 2020 CORONAVIRUS 2 Comments 4,264 Views

The Greek government is preparing to impose tighter measures and a total lockdown even as of Sunday evening in order to contain the spread of coronavirus, media report. For one more weekend, many citizens did not comply with the restrictions and the Stay Home message that so far have been in form of recommendations.

Thousands left the the city of Athens on Friday and Saturday and headed to their villages or the islands. In order to solve the internal migration by sea, the government imposed emergency restrictions that only permanent residents are allowed on ferries and ships. But it did not closed the highways.

According to data from two main highway tolls in Athens, more than 20,000 vehicles with an average of 3 persons onboard passed through with estimations to speak of 80,000 people who left for the countryside and possibly transported also the virus there.

Others sought the nearest beaches and enjoyed the sun and the sea along the Athens Riviera, as daily ethnos reported.

People were also seen in parks and squares and some did not go home even when police cars played a recorded message telling them to do so.

Two elderly in downtown Trikala kept chatting despite the message transmitted loud from a police vehicle, reported TV10 on Saturday evening.

In Kastoria, the paramedics of an ambulance complained about the dozens of locals who had flooded the lake promenade and did not even bother to open the way for the vehicle in emergency transferring a patient to the Hospital. “People were walking, riding bicyle, fishing etc…” the crew wrote among others.

Others , yet not so many, gathered outside the churches waiting to open the doors, despite a well-known ban.

Media report of a church in Ilioupolis suburb of eastern Athens, where the priest and the congregation were found to have been locked up inside, when police paid a visit on Sunday morning.

The Bishop on the island of Kythera was arrested on Saturday morning for holding a service in the presence of the faithful.

However, it is not just the ordinary who can’t stay home and seek outdoors activities “to take a breath” as they say.

Owners of shops and services that have been banned from operating still open their facilities. From March 12 when the measure was imposed until March 21, police arrested a total of 233 people across the country.

According to a statement by Greek Police, the arrestees are owners of retail stores, cafes, taverns, restaurants, hairdressers and florists who had opened the facilities despite the temporary suspension of operation.

Will the Greek government indeed impose total lockdown later on Sunday or on Monday?

Leakage to the press speak of a website where citizens will have to fill up forms citing the reasons they need to leave home and these would be such transition to work, purchase of food and medicine, visit to doctor and hospitals.

On Sunday, some media reported that the registration to exit the home will be done through a 5-digit phone line and via sms. Registered citizens will receive a code number.

According to official data on Sunday, Greece has 624 confirmed cases and 15 deaths.

UPDATE: Early Sunday evening, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced the Total Lockdown – See first details, exceptions and fines here.

PS We will be on total lockdown because some are too selfish and defy the measures protecting us from the virus? Right.

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Gov’t is one step away from total lockdown, as Greeks defy restrictions (POLL)

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