Greece’s Civil Protection decided to place the island of Lesvos under increased epidemiological surveillance and to impose restrictive measures on the island in the north-eastern Aegean Sea.
The measures ban the operation of bars, restaurants and entertainment venues from midnight until 7 o’ clock the following morning.
Furthermore, a maximum of 50 people are allowed to attend all public and other events and gatherings, with the exception of such venues such as restaurants, cinemas and theaters where special rules apply.
The measures are valid for 8 days and in force from 6:00 am Monday, August 24, until 6:00 am Tuesday, September 1, 2020.
In a Civil Protection announcement, it is noted that in consultation with the Ministry of Finance, affected companies on Lesvos may suspend employment contracts.
Finally, it is recalled that similar restrictive measures are in force in the following areas:
the Region of Crete, of Eastern Macedonia, Thrace and Attica
the Regional Units of Thessaloniki, Larissa, Corfu, Karditsa, Pella, Pieria
the Municipalities of Santorini, Volos, Katerini, Rhodes, Zakynthos and Kos.
Greek health authorities do not publish summarized data, ie number of coronavirus infections that lead to restrictive measures.
In the case of other islands and touristic areas where such and even stricter measures were imposed, authorities normally justify their decisions sayings that infections were also detected after Greek holidaymakers returned home from these areas and were tested positive.
According to state broadcaster ERT TV on Monday, there are currently 10 COVID-19 patients hospitalized, one of them intubated.
The infected are either local residents who traveled outside the island for summer vacations or people originally form the island who live elsewhere and came to Lesvos for their vacations and were already infected.
Among the infected are 3 priests and one employee at a supermarket that shut down.
The number of confirmed infections in the last week is 42, ERT reported.
More information on coronavirus in Greece here.
