Greece loosens some restrictions to tackle lockdown fatigue

Greek authorities announced on Wednesday the reopening of the retail sector as of next week, and allowed travel between municipalities on weekends in an effort to respond to the public’s difficulty in coping with months-long restrictions.

Deputy Minister for Civil Protection Nikos Hardalias said stores will operate with the previously used click-and-collect model or even allowing customers inside stores using the click-in-shop system (shopping by appointment). 

Customers will be allowed to shop for three hours. Shopping malls will not reopen.

People will also be able to use their car to travel to another municipality for exercise, sending an SMS with the code 6.

Hardalias said the loosening of some restrictions will “provide some breaths of freedom that will limit the super spreading clusters.”

Health authorities reported earlier another 3,316 new cases of coronavirus in the country, bringing the overall number to 263,689.

The National Organization for Public Health (EODY) also confirmed 76 new deaths, which is a daily record for 2021.