The Greek government had added one more option for exceptional reasons to exit home during the night curfew on Saturday following strong reactions by people with disabilities and mobility problems. Government spokesman Stelios Petsas said that people are allowed to exit their homes to offer personal assistance to .people with disabilities or mobility problems.
They will have to use option <4> of the SMS Code valid during the night curfew (9pm-5 am).
Speaking to ANTI TV, Petsas said that “people with disabilities, but also vulnerable groups, are vertically excluded from the restrictive measures for the coronavirus. Even after 21:00, assistants for people with disabilities will be able to move with the code 4 via SMS.”
He didn’t bother to define what exactly “vertically excluded” means.
With this exemption the government to strong protests by disabled people and other citizens.
One of them, Antonios Rellas, posted on social media:
“From tomorrow night at 9 until 5 in the morning, people with serious injuries will NOT have personal help. The new measures allow the movement for work, health and pet walking purposes. Unfortunately in Greece the issues related to the Independent Living of people with serious damages have not yet been settled.
It is no exaggeration to say that people with disabilities are invisible, are usually supported by their families or people who help them..
Personal assistance is not a health issue, nor can it be attributed to paid work because the state has not recognized this need. How exactly will those who care for the disabled move from tomorrow night?”
Additional options to move during night curfew are <1> for health emergency, <6> for pet walking and for work with employers’ certification.
The SMS service is available from mobile phones with SIM card of mobile phone providers operating in Greece (Cosmote, Vodafone GR, Wind). In order to use the 13033 service, citizens with a device that has an external SIM card can obtain a prepaid connection from the points of sale of the providers, notes cnngreece.
The messages of 13033 refer exclusively to confirmation of exceptional movement.
thumbnail by @yiannisbab
