A decision by the Greek Police to permit public gatherings of up to 100 people is an easing of COVID-19 restrictions and not a further restriction, Greece's Deputy Citizen Protection Minister Lefteris Economou said on Tuesday.
The police earlier announced that, following a police chief's decision, as of January 26 at 06:00 until 06:00 on February 1, all open-air public gatherings of more than 100 people are prohibited throughout the country.
The announcement added: "This is not related to any planned rally, and it also does not concern the presence of citizens in shops, stores, etc."
Economou reiterated the clarifications of the Police that the measures was not taken in response to planned rallies, such as an education-sector protest rally on Thursday.
A protest has also been called for Friday in support of the jailed an assassin belonging to Far-Left group November 17, Dimitris Koufontinas, who went on hunger strike earlier this month to demand a prison transfer.
He pointed out that restrictions and bans in Greece on public gatherings have been in place since last May for serious public health reasons and to limit the spread of COVID-19, which called for the suspension or restriction to nine or 50 people.
More than 5,600 deaths in Greece have been attributed to COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic, with over 280 people are in intensive care.