Greece extends lockdown past two months

Head of Civil Protection and deputy Minister Nikos Hardalias announced on Friday the existing lockdown extension for one more week. The lockdown restrictions that were supposed to end on January 11 will be in force until 6:00 a.m. Monday, January 18, 2021, he said.

The operation of click away services for retail stores, bookstores and hairdressers remain suspended, other business activities are suspended as before.

Also, nail salons remain shut down; churches are closed to the faithful, the ban on hobby fishing and hunting remains in force.

According to media information, the experts of the Infectious Diseases Committee are in favour of postponing the resumption of click away to another later date, which will be determined depending on the epidemiological data.

To leave their homes, Greeks still must send an SMS to a government hotline number 13033 that includes their reason for movement, and the use of masks is mandatory everywhere when not in the home.

Currently, the country is under a curfew from 9:00 PM to 5:00 AM, and only those who are going to or from work or have an emergency have permission to break it.

Greece records 721 cases, 386 intubations under strick lockdown

A total of 721 Covid-19 cases were diagnosed in Greece on Friday, which is 211 more than the 510 cases recorded in the country just one day earlier, on Thursday.

Greece's Civil Aviation Authority declared a new compulsory seven-day quarantine for any passenger flying into the country from abroad, including from European Union member countries, up to and including Jan. 21.

Passengers will also face spot rapid tests on arrival. At the same time, all are still required to prove a negative coronavirus test a maximum of 72 hours before arrival and fill in a passenger locator form.

Rapid tests on arrival are compulsory for passengers arriving from the United Kingdom, who will only be able to leave their quarantine if they test negative for COVID-19 at the end of the seven days, the announcement said.

The Civil Aviation Authority also announced an extension to the flight ban from Turkey and Spain's Catalonia region until Jan. 21, as well as the ban on arrivals for non-EU citizens except those from the UK, Singapore, Australia, Japan, New Zealand, Rwanda, South Korea, Thailand, and the United Arab Emirates.