Greece Expected to Tighten Covid-19 Measures for May Day Weekend

Quarantine measures, similar to those that were introduced to curb the spread of the coronavirus (Covid-19) during the Easter holiday, are expected to apply for the upcoming May Day three-day weekend (May 1-3) in Greece.

“We must not ruin on May 1 what we have gained all this time through hard work and sacrifice,” Government Spokesman Stelios Petsas said on Wednesday while speaking on ANT1 TV.

A public holiday on the Greek calendar recognized as Labor Day, May 1 (called protomagia in Greek) is also a day for outings to celebrate spring and usually three-day weekend getaways take place if it falls on a Friday or Monday.

“We do not need to have a sharp spread (of the virus) that could occur in many parts of the country, which have few or no (Covid-19) cases, from the movement of people from Athens, Thessaloniki, or other urban centers,” he said, implying that travel to villages and the islands will be banned.

Greek Government Spokesman Stelios Petsas. Photo source: media.gov.gr

“Let’s slowly start to open sectors of economic activity and we have a long time ahead of us to visit our villages that we did not go to this Easter,” Petsas added.

Greece’s lockdown measures will not end completely on April 27

Greece went into lockdown and introduced its non-essential movement ban on March 23. The ban has been extended until April 27.

Greek Deputy Minister of Civil Protection and Crisis Management Nikos Hardalias on Wednesday said that the measures for non-essential movement will remain in place until April 27 but will not end completely the next day.

“Ιn no case will they (the measures) end on April 28, but they will be phased out, as it does not mean that the (coronavirus) cases will stop,” he said.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is expected to make announcements next week regarding the government’s plan to ease some of the restrictions in the country.

Speaking on SKAI, Minister of State Giorgos Gerapetritis said that the process of reopening the economy will take two months (ie the whole of May and June).

According to the minister, in the first phase, courts and registry offices will reopen from April 27.

“From May 4, we will have the gradual openings of small shops and other services,” Gerapetritis said, adding that the tourism season will start in June.

“Tourist destinations have remained largely unscathed and will be extremely popular in the summer,” the minister said.

The coronavirus has so far infected 2,408 people in Greece and the death toll has reached 121.