Head of Civil Protection Nikos Hardalias announced on Wednesday evening the loosening of two lockdown measures to revive the economy and allow citizens more space in their recreation time: Opening of retail stores from Monday, April 5, 2021, and movement with car to another municipality for personal exercise on weekends only, from Saturday, April 3!
Both measures or lockdown restrictions relaxations are valid throughout the country, independently of the level of epidemiological load in the region or municipality.
Both measures are bound to certain restrictions, though.
Retail Stores: not Malls
Open Monday, April 5, 2021.
Citizens will have to send sms to special phone line <13032> which is only for retail shopping. The sms is allowed only once per day. That means, if you send a second one you will not receive the OK. Time limit for shopping is 3 hours.
Hardalias did not bother to list details about the use of <13032> but KTG understands that one has just to write his name.
Shopping can be done either with click in shop or with click away.
In click in shop the customer goes in the shop and chooses the products, in click away he orders online or per telephone and receives the ordered goods at the shop entrance where he also pays per POS.
Both shopping ways are to be arrange with an appointment with the shop, Hardalias said.
All health protocols (mask, disinfection, safety distance etc) must be observed.
Personal Exercise Weekend
Citizens will be allowed to move to another municipality for personal exercise – sms <6> – with vehicle. The pilot measure goes in force on Saturday, April 3, 2021.
Allowed are up to 3 persons including the driver in the car or more if it is a family.
Hardalias said that passengers will have to wear a mask.
He “threatened” that the relaxation is just a pilot measure implying that it can be revoked if phenomena of crowding occur.
He advised citizens to avoid crowding at home or small closed spaces.
General
The head of Civil Protection added that epidemiologists will evaluate the epidemiological data next week and decide for the reopening of schools, probably on April 12.
KTG understands that the reopening of schools depends much to the time when self-tests for students and teachers will be available free of charge at pharmacies. According to state broadcaster ERT, this could need 7 to 10 days.
They will also evaluate the data for the reopening of malls and big stores.
He warned that the next two weeks will be crucial for the course of the coronavirus pandemic.
On Wednesday, authorities announce 3,619 new confirmed cases, 76 more deaths and 739 Covi-patients in ventilators.
At the live briefing, Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias said that Thriassio hospital in Athens will turn into Covid-only facility.
Note that all other lockdown measures are valid.
“He warned that the next two weeks will be crucial for the course of the coronavirus pandemic.”
It seems like the same mantra over and over. How many times have we heard that the next two weeks are critical during this lockdown?
they run out of mantras
“The definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over again, but expecting different results.” Attributed to Einstein.
SO — as far as shopping is concerned — does this mean that we are now able to shop more than 2kms away from our homes because as far as I can see this hasn’t been addressed at all. It’s all very vague — which doesn’t surprise me because in the 15 years I’ve lived in this country NOTHING has come as a surprise !!!!!!! This whole thing just beggars belief. Let us know in simple terms what we CAN and CANNOT do please
you can move more than 2km away from home if within the municipality boundaries.
So can we now visit our apartment in Athens if we go on Saturday morning and return on Sunday evening? For exercise, of course . . .
I would imagine so as it has,nt seemed to have stopped people from Athens visiting our village who have second homes here right from the start.
Another set of changes with little / no consideration for those living outside of the cities. We can shop for 3 hours (after sending a SMS) if we make an appointment but cannot leave our municipality so no visits to Corfu town where all the shops are (different municipality!). We can now drive out of our municipality (after sending SMS) to exercise, but only at the weekend!. So, in essence, we can now drive to Corfu town at the weekend and walk all round the town for exercise, but cannot do any shopping there!!
No mention of education! How surprising. Let’s keep them on line since it’s healthy! Our kids education is last in line. Ridiculous.