Covid-19: More Areas in Greece Put Under Strict Lockdown

Photo © Greek Travel Pages (GTP)

The General Secretariat for Civil Protection on Wednesday announced that lockdown measures would tighten for two more areas in Greece due to high coronavirus (Covid-19) infection rates.

More specifically, it was announced that the regional unit of Argolida and the Municipality of Sparti, both located in the Peloponnese Region, as of Thursday, January 14, will have to abide by a stricter curfew that bans non-essential movement between 6pm and 5am.

Movement during the curfew will be allowed only for work reasons, provided that workers have the necessary documentation from their employers. (Movement beyond the curfew will be allowed only for specific reasons and by sending an SMS to the five-digit mobile phone service 13033.)

Moreover, residents will be banned from leaving Argolida and Sparti and will only be able to travel for health reasons.

All retail stores will remain closed and all religious services will be suspended.

The stricter lockdown measures will be in force until Monday, January 18.

Areas in Greece under strict lockdown

Argolida and Sparta are the latest areas in Greece to see lockdown measures tighten until January 18, following the islands of Lesvos and Kalymnos; the municipalities of Aspropyrgos and Elefsina in western Attica; the regional unit of Viotia in Central Greece; the municipalities of Eordea and Kozani Voio in the regional unit of Kozani; and the local communities of Strofi, Neda, Agiochori and Ipio of the Municipality of Arriannon in the regional unit of Rodopi.

According to recent data released by Greece’s health authorities, in total, more than 40 regional units of the country currently have active cases of the coronavirus, with 14 of them recording a double digit figure.

The data showed that one third of the cases in Greece are in Attica.

According to Greek daily Kathimerini, Attica has seen an increase in the number of cases by at least 20 percent following the Christmas and New Year holiday season.

Greek health authorities on Wednesday announced 671 new coronavirus cases and 25 deaths. Since the start of the pandemic, the total number of cases in the country has reached 146,688. The Covid-19 death toll in Greece is 5,354.