Most retail shops will remain closed over the Christmas season but hairdressers and bookshops will open under strict safety rules, Greek authorities announced on Friday morning. Churches will open for the faithful only twice on December 25th and January 6th.
Night curfew will be shorter during the festive season and shorter will be also the quarantine period for those traveling to Greece from abroad.
The measure in details:
Retail stores operation only with click away/pick up order only: Dec 13 – Jan 7 (more details on separate post soon)
Hairdressers, barbershops: open from Dec 14 and from 07:00 a.m. until 09:00 pm.
Bookstores: same as for hair-salons.
Churches will open on 25. Dec 2020 and 6. Jan 2021 limited up to 9 people in normal churches and up to 25 in Metropolis. No outdoors ceremonies for the Blessing of the Waters on Epiphany Day.
Whole sale stores open only for the construction industry.
Supermarkets will be exceptionally open on Sunday, Dec 13
Night curfew: 10:00 p.m. – 05:00 a.m. and for the time Dec 13-Jan 7
Movement to open business sectors with SMS/written note to 13033, option <2>
Quarantine for those traveling to Greece Dec 18 – Jan 7 from abroad will be limited to 3 days and not 10 as announced last week. In force, remain the negative PCR test 72 hours before arrival and Rapid Test at arrival. Details here.
Regarding movement for the “Christmas table”, house-to-house visits, government spokesman Stelios Petsas said that new announcements will be after evaluation of the measures impact after a week.
Regarding movement from regional unit to regional unit Petsas said that it is possible for “family reunions” (students, workers) with E9 verification. More announcements as above.
Government spokesman Petsas said that coronavirus infections have not decreased to a satisfying level and the decongestion of the ICUs is not satisfying either.
Regions with many infections per 100,000 population are: Pieria, Drama, Kilkis, Pella, Xanthi, Imathia, Thessaloniki, Larissa, Florina and western Attica.
Due to the second wave of the pandemic, lockdown was imposed nationwide on November 7 initially for 3 weeks but has been extended until January 7, 2021.
Development Minister Adonis Georgiadis said during the press conference that the decision to not open the retail sector was “extremely difficult.” He warned that if safety rules are not kept and phenomena of crowding will be observed then this partial opening will be reconsidered.
He added that there will be consideration of financial support to those retail stores that cannot operate with the click away system.
So, is it permissible for people living in small towns and villages (that may have minimarkets or small supermarkets) travel further for shopping to larger stores near cities with more items within their own region?