The Greek government hopes to reopen retail stores “sometime before the holidays,” government spokesman Stelios Petsas said on Saturday. The decision will depend on the epidemiological data, he added.
In an interview with Skai TV, Petsas said that the plan is to first open places without high coronavirus infection rates, such as schools.
He added that it is unlikely to allow travel between different regions over the holidays.
According to media, the first to open are small shops and the big ones and in the end the malls.
Greeks see with ambivalent feelings the opening of stores before and over the holidays.
It is obvious that shop owners do not want to miss the seasonal market ans reassure that the opening will take place under strict observance of health protocols and protection measures. Stores owners tell media that if they open just a few days before Christmas then it would be too late.
Consumers, especially those over a certain age, are concerned that people may crowd during shopping with the effect that infections will rise again and a new lockdown could be imposed in January again.
All friends and relatives over 40 whom I asked in the last couple of days told me the same thing: “infections will rise again, new lockdown in January.”
But a quick shopping in the neighborhood today Saturday proved that there are still people who are too selfish to keep up with the rules.
In the small shop with delicacies, a middle-aged couple made a fuss shouting they could not wait on the queue outside for they wanted “2 yogurts only” and they were in a hurry. The woman wore a mask, the man too but with his nose outside.
In the supermarket and a sweets shop everybody complied with the measures without complaining. In the fruit shop, things were kind of messy with customers and workers standing next to each other with the latter helping the first. But everybody wore a mask, the workers also gloves.
Greece imposed the second lockdown on November 7 initially until Nov 30. The government extended it until Dec 7, due to a high number of infections, deaths and intubations.
Now epidemiologist say that it is premature to gradually lift it on Dec 7 and it should be extended for one more week.
![Pinterest](https://pinterest.com/pin/create/button/?url=https://www.keeptalkinggreece.com/2020/11/28/greece-lockdown-stores-open-before-christmas/&media=https://www.keeptalkinggreece.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/11/petsmask1.jpg&description=The Greek government hopes to reopen retail stores "sometime before the holidays," government spokesman Stelios Petsas said on Saturday. The decision will){kind=link}