Universal masking not on table, says government spokesman

The option of making the use of masks mandatory in all public settings to stop the spread of the novel coronavirus is not under consideration, government spokesman Stelios Petsas said on Friday, as Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis plans to meet with his expert health committee to discuss the way forward after Greece reported a record 372 new cases on Thursday.

“Such a multitude of cases in a single day tends to stem from specific outbreaks, as is the case with the cannery in Giannitsa,” Petsas told Antenna television, referring to a factory in the northern Greek region of Pella where more than 100 workers have tested positive for the virus.

“The universal use of masks is not on the table,” he said, without elaborating on what additional measures the government may take after Thursday’s spike.

“What is important right now is to focus on the start of the new school year. If we cross that bridge, then we will be able to relax,” Petsas said, adding that masks will be distributed to pupils when schools start on Monday.