Health authorities are mulling a full lockdown in Greece’s second biggest city Thessaloniki, media report Monday noon, after several government ministers as well as the mayor that stricter measures against the spread of coronavirus will be needed. The health care system is at the brink of collapse, ANT1 TV reported.
Speaking to Skai TV Monday morning, mayor Konstantinos Zervas said that he has recommenced additional restrictions such as night curfew from 08:00 or 09:00 pm and ban movement in- and outside the regional unit.
He added “it is not a total lockdown. Retail stores will be open and services will be open without the need to send an SMS to leave home.”
He stressed “we are at war and we must see how we will face the enemy,” and added “imposed measures need time to bear fruit, however due to the huge number of infections we should impose stricter measures.”
Zervas estimated that “we will not avoid a total lockdown”, adding that the aim now was to avert the closing of the promenade of the city, Nea Paralia.
Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias who is currently visiting the city said that “we have warned and rung the alarm bells but some did not listen. We are obliged to contain the spread of the virus and protect public health.”
At the same time, we should recall that authorities in the city turned a bling eye to massive crowding last week by not intervening when the faithful and the clergy celebrated the patron of the city, St Demetrios. the coronavirus effect is to be seen by the end of the week.
Meanwhile, several media stress that the government is preparing for a full lockdown in Thessaloniki, movement only with sms, closure of retail stores, banning travel from/to the region but schools and churches will remain open and thus as of Tuesday, November 3, 2020.
In the region of 1,100,000 inhabitants, active infections have reportedly increased to over 80 per 100,000, the pressure on the health care system is immense.
Restaurants, bars and cafes shut down – seleo.gr
Thessaloniki has been placed in partial lockdown since Friday, October 30. This did not hinder the increase by over 2,000 new infections in the last 3 days.
