SMS authorization for sports could be limited, says gov’t spokesperson

The government has received recommendations to limit outdoor exercise to places one can walk to, government spokesperson Aristotelia Peloni said on Wednesday morning.

As the current measures stand, cellphone users must send the toll-free 13033 hotline the number corresponding to one of six approved reasons to leave home, followed by their name and address. Number six corresponds to physical exercise, and citizens can either walk or drive to an outdoor area.

Speaking to Greece’s Skai TV, Peloni said that any new measures will come into force on Thursday. 

The deterioration of epidemiological indicators in most parts of Greece and the pressure placed on the national healthcare system by a rising number of hospitalizations and intubations, especially in the wider Athens region, has forced authorities to reevaluate existing restrictive measures to control the virus.

The issue is expected to be discussed at a meeting of the government’s committee of experts on the new coronavirus that will hold an emergency meeting on Wednesday.