Gov’t declares Tuesday a holiday due to snowfall

The government declared Tuesday a public holiday, in the public and private sector, after a blanket of heavy snow immobilized much on the country.

Authorities have been forced to suspend most private and public company activities on Tuesday in the Attica region, the regional units of Viotia, Evia, Cyclades, in the Sporades islands and throughout the island of Crete, due to the cold weather snap.

Minister of Climate Crisis and Civil Protection Christos Stylianides announced Monday night that all public services are suspended, with the exception of municipal and regional governments, armed forces and security forces, public health and other services whose operation is necessary for the management of the weather emergency; the latter will operate at the discretion of unit managers.

Public transport will operate where possible, especially trains, the Athens metro and trams.

All nurseries, kindergartens and schools will be closed Tuesday. No online classes will be held because the administrative staff necessary to run them will be absent.

Stylianides also said that the operation of private companies is suspended, except for food stores (from 10 a.m. to 6 p.m.), pharmacies and other health-related businesses, gas stations and other businesses that stay open during the holidays, as well as businesses whose operation helps address the effects of bad weather.

Stylianides said that there will be less snow from Tuesday afternoon but that frost will persist.

The biggest problem is the situation on the privately operated Attiki Odos motorway around Athens, which also connects it to the airport. He blamed the operator, adding that, in successive meetings, they promised they would have enough equipment to keep the road open. “I think we must determine responsibility; that is what I will propose to the Prime Minister,” he said.

Meanwhile, the army has been mobilised to evacuate dozens of motorists who have been trapped in snow, many of them for hours, on Attiki Odos.