Coronavirus: Measures for Mykonos, Halkidiki effective Friday

A raft of restrictions aimed at curbing the spread of Covid-19 on the Aegean island of Mykonos and the northern Greek peninsula of Halkidiki, following a spike in infections in the two popular tourist destinations, come into effect Friday and will apply through August 31.

The restrictions include a ban on parties, open-air markets and religious festivals. Additionally, all gatherings – public and private – must be limited to no more than nine people.

Moreover, there may be no more than four people at each restaurant table, unless they are immediate family members in which case the maximum number is six people.

Finally, the use of masks is mandatory in open as well as enclosed spaces.

The restrictions to be enforced from Friday include the obligatory closure of all restaurants, bars and nightclubs between midnight and 7 a.m., which were heralded last week by Greek authorities and have faced resistance by both businesses and patrons in both areas.

In the early hours of Thursday morning, police on Mykonos raided a rented villa in the area of Ftelia where a private party was under way.

According to local reports, some 500 people had been in attendance at the party. Police arrested a man, believed to have been renting the property in the area of Ftelia, on charges of disturbing the peace, as well as a Spanish couple who are both said to have been diagnosed with Covid-19 and were supposed to be in quarantine.

They were to face a prosecutor later in the day.

Authorities have warned that other such events will be broken up similarly.

Health authorities are concerned that such gatherings could turn into a super-spreader events if one or more attendees are infected with the virus.

Mykonos is of particular concern due to its popularity as a party island among foreign visitors and Greeks alike.