Residents in Greece will still be required to send an SMS to 13033 in order to obtain permission to leave their homes.
The SMS authorisation will remain in place until the lifting of the ban on intra-regional travel on May 15.
The announcement was made by Greek Civil Protection Deputy Minister Nikos Hardalias on Wednesday.
The SMS to 13033 should be formatted as follows: X (one of the digits 1-6 corresponding to the activities below), name, surname and address.
The six reasons (you must SMS) are:
- Visit to a pharmacy or visit to a doctor if necessary
- Visit to a supermarket or stores for essential supplies
- Visit to a bank if e-banking transactions are not possible
- Visit people needing assistance or escorting children to and from school
- Attending a funeral, as per the conditions provided by the law, or visiting children in case of divorced parents
- Physical exercise outdoors, walking a pet, or other permitted reasons
Travel across municipalities
As of Holy Thursday through Easter Sunday, citizens are allowed to move between municipalities within the region of their permanent residence.
Travelling to another prefecture is still not permitted.
Rules for the Easter period
Greece will be celebrating a muted Easter (Pascha) for the second time in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Here is a list of measures and restrictions currently in place:
- Only members of two families will be allowed to gather for the Easter Sunday meal and no more than nine people indoors and 12 people outdoors. Family members are advised to self-test.
- All Easter services from Palm Sunday (April 25) to Holy Wednesday (April 28) will begin half an hour earlier, at 18:30. Holy Thursday service will begin at 17:30 and on Good Friday at 18:00.
- On Easter Sunday individuals will have to send the code 6 to 13033 for movement. They must also be back in their homes by 10 pm.
- Instead of the customary midnight Resurrection service on Easter Saturday (May 1), the liturgy will be held at 9 p.m.
- On Good Friday, shops will open between 13:00 in the afternoon and 19:00 in the evening, and on Holy Saturday from 9:00 in the morning until 15:00 in the afternoon. The stores will be closed on Easter Sunday, May 2, on Easter Monday, May 3, and on Tuesday, May 4.
Restaurants and cafes open for outdoor dining
From Monday, May 3, individuals will be able to dine at restaurants and cafes only by sending an SMS to 13033, code 6.
All customers must be seated and no music will be allowed to play.
Moreover, restaurants and cafes must begin to close at 10:45 pm the latest.
*More on GCT: Greece’s plans to reopen
