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More lockdown restrictions with SMS changes as Greece turns “deep red” & “red”

Head of Civil Protection Nikos Hardalias announced on Wednesday evening some restriction regarding four sms options citizens have to use to exit their homes. The restrictions are apparently the “smart lockdown” measures the government has been heralding in the last few days given the surge of coronavirus infections, deaths and intubations of Covid-19 patients.

At the same time, Hardalias placed several regional units in “high risk category” (deep red) and all other units in “increased surveillance” (red.).

Regional Units in Deep Red:

  • Attica, Achaia, Arcadia, Thessaloniki, Larissa*, Lefkada except Meganisi, Fthiotida, Argolida, Corinth, Thesprotia, Arta, Samos, Viotia, Chios, Aitoloakarnania, Rhodes, Heraklio, Evia except Skyros.

*In Larissa the measures will go into force at 6 a.m. on March 6, 2021, due to the powerful earthquake on Wednesday.

Also the island of Kalymnos reportedly goes into “deep red”.

The changes in the sms options to 13033 go into force nationwide and from 6:00 a.m. Thursday, March 4, until March 16, 2021.

SMS Changes

<2> Supplies supermarket etc and <3> Bank:  Movement only within the municipality boundaries or to a distance up to 2 km away form the residence

<6> Exercise & per walking: Movement only on foot or with bicycle. Hardalias said one will not be able to go to another area with his car using <6>.

<4> Help at home:/elderly: Police will ask for further explanations to confirm whether <4> is used properly. Media reported but Hardalias did not confirmed or dismiss that “controlling policemen will call the person for whom the help is coming and ask whether is in need of help.”

Curfew, Restrictions

In areas in “deep red” with the Athens/Attica and Thessaloniki, curfew starts at 6 p.m. on week days and at 7 p.m. on weekend (Saturday, Sunday.)

Curfew Athens and Thessaloniki 9 pm-5 am Monday to Friday. Media reported that the curfew will be 7 pm-5am on Saturday/Sunday, but no official explanation on this.

Suspension of weddings/christening, funerals only with up to 9 people.

No questions & explanations

The Live briefing was abruptly cut and no questions by journalists were allowed.

The measures and the weird sms restrictions were just thrown at the heads of citizens who are fed up with the restrictions, and the measures that seem more and more absurd and make no longer sense.

For example: In urban Athens, one can only shop and exercise within municipality boundaries but can cross 4-6 or more  municipalities in a fully packed public transport means to go to work where he may sit next to colleagues for 8 or more hours.

This measures announced on Wednesday make one wonder about their effectiveness to contain the spread of the coronavirus, after the lockdown imposed since Nov 7, 2020, rather backfired. In the last few days, infections surged to new negative records for 2021.

In his introduction of the new lockdown measures, Hardalias rather blamed the “mutation variants” of the virus saying that 1,756 mutation cases have been detected in the country since the end of December, than admitting some kind of failure in the policy implemented so far..

PS It is high time to learn another Greek proverb: Αλλαξε ο Μανωλιός κι έβαλε το βρακί του αλλιώς. Manolios changed his underwear and put ii on in a different way….

Thank goodness, we have now “smart” lockdown because the previous two were obviously stupid… *rolling eyes*.

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15 comments

  1. Reason is not just for banks but also for official offices where the transaction cannot be carried out online. I have an appointment at my Prefecture central police station, which is not within my municipality nor within 2 km of my home. Should I go to it or am I breaking the rules?

  2. A faster bigger programme of vaccination is required. Including on Sundays! Ridiculous not doing vaccines continuously.
    AstraZeneca should be used for those up to 70 hrs of age too!

    • I am 73 and my doctor in the UK has advised me NOT to have the Pfizer vaccine due to my severe allergies to several drugs (even Aspirin) and all kinds of foods. So – I will not be having the vaccine here – unless they can assure me I can have the AstraZeneca —other than that, I will wait till I am able to fly to the UK and have the vaccine there.

  3. This will stop when those imposing these ‘lockdowns’ are prosecuted and imprisoned for crimes against humanity.

    • Thank you, sane voice in the wilderness! This whole thing is a gargantuan psy-op to gain power over every aspect of human life.
      And did any (or maybe all!) of those 23 people who died and precipitated this ludicrous situation,…..were they perchance vaccinated? Just asking…..

  4. This is complete nonsense. It is beyond a joke. The occupancy of ICUs is lower than in November and Greece does not have a medical crisis. It has a crisis of political management, which is also a crisis of people’s businesses and economic survival.

    Your government is out of control.

  5. It is worth noting that the official Civil Protection web site that reports the official announcement described above implies that the new restrictions on SMS categories apply nationwide. The official government COVID web site showing the Map of Health Safety and Protection states that the new SMS restrictions only apply to the very high risk category areas. Always good to have clarity.

    • Mmm!!!!! Interesting, this means that the island I live on at least 50% of the population will starve until at least the 16th
      I take it the government is aware that Greece is made up more of just Athens!!!
      Think I will take that latest govenment instruction with a pinch of salt

  6. Does anyone know whether the SMS restrictions apply to the 18 ‘Deep Red’ regions only or everywhere?

    • The article says “The changes in the SMS options to 13033 go into force nationwide and from 6:00 a.m. Thursday, March 4, until March 16, 2021” so it seems to be everywhere.

  7. I can’t see that the new measures are really that different from what we have been doing other than not being able to do grocery shopping outside the 2km zone. There is no mention of exercise being limited to only walking within a 2km radius. My husband and I walk 10km a day but steer clear of the groups of people that congregate outside of coffee shops where there is no social distancing and no one wears a mask.
    If the government was serious in controlling this why not look at other countries that have it under control and what those governments did to control the spread of the virus. Australia, New Zealand are good examples.

  8. What time does the lockdown start in Rethymno now?

  9. We’re in this lockdown because of people who believe the way you do and choose to continue the spread by not wearing a mask and congregate in groups. Grow up!