The Greek government announced additional lockdown measures are three municipalities in western Attica on Thursday evening due to the increased epidemiological load. Among the measures is also the extension of night curfew that will start already a 6:00 p.m.
In an extraordinary live on TV, the head of Civil Protection Nikos Hardalias announced that the tougher measures will be in force as of 6:00 a.m. Friday, December 18 2020, and for 7 days.
The measures affect the municipalities of Aspropyrgos, Elefsina and Mandra, the so-called “industrial areas” of the Prefecture of Attica.
The measures are:
Curfew: 06:00 p.m. – 05:00 a.m. Excepted workers with documents signed by their employees
No operation of retail (not even with click away), bookstores, hairdressers and nails-shops.
No operation of open markets (laiki).
Religious services only with priest and essential chanters. No believers in churches or any worship places of other dogmas. Only funerals possible with attendance of maximum 10 people.
Massive Rapid Tests to the population. Tests on workers in the area every 0, 5th and 10th day.
Intensification of control checks to workers by teams of EODY, the Civil Protection and Armed Forces.
PCR Tests to care home staff every 5 days.
Massive distributions of masks to the population by the municipalities.
Self-isolation of infected people who are not in need of hospitalization will be in special structures if self-isolation at home is not possible.
According to data released on Wednesday by the National Health Organization, the number of infections per 100,000 population in the area was 22.37. The average infections of the last 7 days was 29.86
Experts have attributed the high number of infections to some 10,000 workers commuting in the area daily as well as to several Roma settlements.
Worth noting that industrial and factory commuters have been pressed like sardines in public transport means all the times, including during the 2nd lockdown.
Nikos Hardalias said that after seven days, experts will evaluate the impact of the measures and will either lift them or extend them.
There is a nationwide lockdown in Greece since November 7 and extended until January 7, 2021. However, it is a rather ‘soft’ lockdown with many businesses in operation with the effect that there is a large mobility.
PS the government chose to invest in buying police cars instead of strengthening the public transport means network.
