Over half of the 1,496 new cases diagnosed in Greece on Wednesday were once again identified in Attica, as the region of the country’s capital is facing a two-week “shutdown” starting on Thursday.
Under the new restrictions, all stores in Athens and the Attica region will close, schools will go back to remote learning and restaurants will be allowed to operate only for delivery.
In response to the reactions from shopkeepers and other business owners who are struggling to survive after successive lockdowns, the Prime Minister of Greece, Konstantinos Mitsotakis urged them to understand that the earlier the strict lockdown is imposed, the earlier they can emerge from this ordeal.
He added that he hoped that the two week strict lockdown will be enough to stem the spike in infections in Attica, though he did add that more “shut-downs” will be expected in the next couple of months, as the country struggles to keep the number of new infections low.
In an interview on Sky TV, the Prime Minister was asked to comment on the backlash he has received regarding his recent visit to Ikaria, where footage showed him and other members of Parliament, dining together in a large group, despite Covid restrictions.
He responded that the encounter was brief though he accepted that “the image has hurt people and did not do justice to my intentions. It will not be repeated.”
On Wednesday 17 more people lost their lives due to Covid-19, bringing the total number of Covid-fatalities in Greece to 6,034.
