“The retail sector could open again sometime in mid-March,” Alternate Interior Minister Stelios Petsas said over the weekend.
Speaking to Skai TV, he said “we are nearing the end of an unprecedented drama,” and noted that “this year’s Easter holiday will be different to last year.”
If Greece proceeds with vaccinations against the coronavirus according to plan, “which will pick up speed from March 15 onwards, and with April being a month of mass inoculations, our Easter holiday this year (May 2) will be much better.”
“The next two weeks are rather crucial for us, to drop the epidemiological burden, so as to open the retail sector”, he pointed out.
Several epidemiologists said on Monday morning that the tough lockdown is highly likely until March 15.
Last Friday, authorities extended the hard lockdown in Athens and Attica until March 8 and experts hint to another week extension as the pressure in the hospitals in the area is immense.