Update – 26/05/2020

As of the latest update by the Greek authorities yesterday evening, the total number of confirmed Covid-19 diagnosed cases in Greece is 2,882. One more death was announced raising the death toll to 172. The number of patients treated in intensive care units stands at 18, while 101 people have left the intensive care unit.

EDUCATION

• The academic year for primary schools is being extended until the end of next month and children in kindergarten and elementary will attend classes until June 26, Education Minister said on Monday. The clarification on the length of the extension was made after a decision was announced last week for relaunching primary education classes as of June 1.

• Classes in kindergarten and elementary school will be limited to 15 students at a time and, in the event that numbers exceed this limit, will be split into two sessions. Children with health problems or living with a family member who is vulnerable to the coronavirus will continue to be taught remotely. The June 1 opening also extends to special education schools.

RELIGION

• Night churches around the country are to hold today Easter Saturday services, which they had been unable to in March due to the lockdown. The faithful are to gather in churches and sing Resurrection hymns and experience the solemn atmosphere of the Resurrection.

• Churches were reopened on Sunday, May 17 after an almost two-month lockdown, which resulted in Easter services taking place without congregations.

HEALTH

• Doctors, nurses and paramedics on the Greek islands will be receiving special training geared at dealing with coronavirus-related emergencies ahead of the relaunch of the tourism season next month. The initiatives come as the Greek government lifted restrictions on ferryboat services on Monday and is planning to gradually open up the country to tourism from abroad starting in June.

• Teams of paramedics from the National Center of Emergency Care (EKAV) started descending on Tuesday on the country’s islands to help better prepare hospital and medical centers to deal with Covid-19 patients. EKAV’s Be SAFE (Stay Alert, Fully Educated) program begins today on the island of Syros, the capital of the Cyclades cluster, and will continue this week in Naxos, Paros and Antiparos, before reaching the rest of the islands by June 20.

• In the meantime, the National Organization for Public Health (EODY) and the non-government organization Symplefsi also started sending teams to the country’s remoter islands on Monday to conduct coronavirus tests on local populations, beginning with Milos, Kimolos, Folegandros and Sikinos.

BUSINESS

• The food and drinks services sector was officially relaunched on Monday. Greece’s bars, restaurants and cafes – which have been on lockdown for 10 weeks – have been permitted to welcome customers as part of the fourth phase of a government plan to ease restrictions imposed in March to stem coronavirus infections.

• The relaunch of the sector, however, is subject to health protocols designed to prevent customers from being seated in close proximity and to ensure that all hygiene standards are being met. Physical distancing means that businesses are not allowed to admit more than one person per square meter of their surface area and must maintain a distance of at least 70 centimeters between customers’ chairs.

• They should also encourage touch-free payment methods, provide hand sanitation stations with antiseptic gels, train staff on the proper use of gloves and masks, and impose a strict cleaning regimen so that frequently touched surfaces are regularly wiped down with a disinfectant.

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