Development minister says more time needed before stricter lockdown considered

Development Minister Adonis Georgiadis on Tuesday said that stricter lockdown measures for the Greek capital should not be considered until the results of a recent tightening of restrictions that started last weekend start becoming apparent.

“More time needs to be given for that conversation,” he said in comments on Skai TV, shortly after Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias said in a separate television interview that he plans to recommend a complete lockdown for Attica, where transmission of the novel coronavirus has been rising in recent days.

“Such a recommendation will obviously be taken very seriously if it comes from the health minister, who is responsible,” Georgiadis said, adding, however, that he is “not sure what a ‘generalized’ lockdown means when the country is already on lockdown.”

Georgiadis defended the reopening of retail under the system of curbside pickups, saying that the only real difference with the hard lockdown last spring is that most schools are open right now.

“Market professionals have upheld the measures to the tee and the click away [system] has not exacerbated traffic,” he said, responding to concerns that the reopening of retail has contributed to a rise in the public’s movement.

“Each [minister] looks at his own area of responsibility and I’m not saying this in a critical way, because it makes sense,” Georgiadis added.