Strict penalties for those who violate the penal provisions for the spread of infectious diseases are now being enforced, and violators could spend up to life in prison for the most extreme circumstances relating to violations of coronavirus quarantine.
Specifically, if the violation of the criminal provisions (article 285 of the Penal Code) results in a risk of transmission of the disease, imprisonment of up to five years and the imposition of a fine is the punishment.
In case the violation of the measures results in the transmission of the disease to humans, imprisonment of five to ten years is imposed. If the violation resulted in the death of a person, imprisonment of 10 to 15 years is provided in the penal code.
If the violation of the provisions caused the death of a large number of people, then even life imprisonment is provided. Note that the above penalties apply in case the offense was committed by deceit. That is, the perpetrator knew he was transmitting the disease but violated the measures.
The same offenses are punished when they have been committed by negligence with milder sentences. Specifically, when they have been committed by negligence, the perpetrators can be imprisoned for up to two years or fined.
Meanwhile, as the return of summer vacationers to the large urban centres peaks until the end of August, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis stressed that the government has already announced a package of concrete measures to prevent the spread of the virus, as reported by Greek City Times.
“We are always ready to update and further enhance these measures, always based on real data, which we publish every day with absolute transparency," he said.
He also addressed the fake news on social media, noting that the narratives of those fighting the virus on a daily basis will show the minority of Greeks who question the real danger that the problem is real and must be addressed collectively by the citizens, and this is not a fabrication that fits into nonsensical and far-fetched ‘conspiracy theories’
During the meeting, the epidemiological data was discussed, and based on the information from August 8 onward, 70% of the domestic cases are in close contact with an already existing case, a detail that aids in a better tracking and the attempt to confine the cases to limit the spread in the community.
Statistics also show that the majority of cases are related to the younger age groups, while the vast majority of deaths are still related to the elderly.
