Police officers flowed out as early as 6 o’ clock Monday morning, the time the total lockdown went into effect, and started controlling pedestrians and motorists checking whether they had the essential Home Exit certificates. However, there have been reports that police officers do not take essential precautions.
Κυριότερη εστία μετάδοσης στην Ελλάδα από σήμερα οι αστυνομικοί στους ελέγχους… πανέξυπνο το μέτρο… #απαγορευση_κυκλοφοριας pic.twitter.com/hUjRTktBbp
— Christos T Nakas (@CNakas) March 23, 2020
They increase the risk to themselves and to others in spreading the virus and cross-contamination.
Early morning drill "how to spread coronavirus" in Thessaloniki #lockdown control. https://t.co/oDx4mJLoeO
— Keep Talking Greece (@keeptalkingGR) March 23, 2020
Police officers are advised to not come to physical contact with citizens and to keep a safe distance, police osurces told state-run news agnecy amna after the reports.
Many citizens reportedly complained about the fact that police officers touch and hold their documents, IDs, mobile phones and home exit certificates. Given medical reports that the virus survives also on surfaces, citizens expressed their concerns also about officers wearing gloves.
Check points were set in main avenues in Athens. At highways tolls, where police would send motorists back if they did not have the appropriate papers with them.
On Monday, 14 policemen were placed in house isolation after an incident in Voula, southern Attica. A 26-year-old man, who had arrived to Greece from abroad just hours before, flipped out, started to smash car mirrors. When police officers arrived he started to spit at them saying he had the coronavirus. He was taken to a psychiatric clinic and the police officers were sent home.
Police controls often created conditions of traffic jams especially in the Greek capital at the time where commuters are on the way to work.
On the first day of the lockdown, announced late on Sunday, police was supposed to remind violators of the new circumstances and do not impose the fine of 150 euros.
However, in some regions of Greece, police was apparently not aware of the recommendation – mercy day – and fined those withe the exit pass.
The first fines were reportedly imposed to a motorist and a pedestrian on the island of Chios.
Citing police sources, Skai TV reported that fined violators can appeal the decision within 3 days.
A spokesperson of the Greek Police told ANT1 TV that fines will be imposed as of Tuesday, March 24, and controls in Athens and the countryside will continue without break.
At the same time, authorities chase those who arrived to Greece from abroad and violated the mandatory house isolation of 14-days.
For those, fines are really heft reaching 5,000 euros.
On Sunday, authorities located 13 travelers who violated the house isolation. Each one of them had to pay 5,000 euros. Nine of the cases were in Athens, two in Thessaloniki and two in cities in the countryside.
Those arriving to Greece from abroad have to declare a house address upon their arrival.
The Greek Civil Protection has repeatedly warned that teams will conduct systematic raids and checks across the country to verify that travelers keep the house isolation. The raids will intensify as of Monday, March 23.
Greece has been repatriating dozens of Greeks since last Saturday.
A total of 266 people repatriated on a flight from Madrid, have been placed in “14-day isolation” in a hotel, after several of them were tested positive on coronavirus.
A ferry carrying Greek university students and professionals from several Italian cities arrived at Igoumenitsa port and then to Patras on Sunday.
Among all the repatriated Greeks over the weekend, 22 were tested positive.
From March 12 until March 22, police arrested 250 shop and business owners for violating the restrictions and opened their facilities.
Despite the warnings and the lockdown, some Greeks keep on violating the restrictions. There are reports about a family that held a birthday party in an open parking plot, while two ladies in a suburb of Athens broke down the fence in a sports facility in order to play …tennis.
Deputy government spokesperson Aristotelia Peloni said on Monday that the money collected from the fines will be used to strengthen the health care system.
