Domestic complacency the ‘enemy’ in fight against Covid-19, says gov’t

Greece has managed to largely control the imported cases of coronavirus but complacency among Greeks risks derailing efforts to contain the spread of the virus, government spokesman Stelios Petsas said on Friday.

“We have implemented extensive checks based on a special algorithm developed by the panel of experts, resulting in good control at the [country’s] entrance [points] and good tracking afterwards. So, the imported cases, at the moment, do not seem to be a big problem,” he told public broadcaster ERT.

The problem, he continued, is complacency inside the country.

“This is the enemy. Unacceptable incidents of relaxation, which led us to the decision to take stricter measures, such as the mandatory use of a masks in many enclosed spaces. This measure is expected to be extended if we continue on this path."

One of the proposals being considered is extending measures in places where overcrowding is observed, such as bars. The committee of experts advising the government on how to manage the pandemic is examining the problem but has not issued an opinion yet, he said.

Petsas also admitted that there is a problem with overcrowding in public transport due to more sparse services, adding that the government is recalling summer holidays of employees in August to secure more frequent bus, tram and metro services.