Attica to go into hard lockdown
coronavirus
10 Feb 2021
/ 09:53
ATHENS. The Greek PM said, "Over the coming two months the restrictive measures will be tightened and relaxed according to alert levels. It depends on us. However, this is the final stretch before freedom."
Greek PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on TV that stricter lockdown measures will come into force in Attica from Thursday 11th until 28 February. He said, "Over the coming two months the restrictive measures will be tightened and relaxed according to alert levels. It depends on us. However, this is the final stretch before freedom."
He said that the aim is to always stay one step ahead of the virus. This is what brought results in the last lockdown in January.
"Now, however, the danger is reappearing. Not with thousands of hospitalisations and deaths as in other European countries but with two facts that worry us greatly. On the one hand, the increase of hospitalisations in Attica… and, on the other, the mutations of the virus that seem to accelerate its transmissibility. We could wait a few more days but the danger signs are visible and we have learned to be proactive and not to take action after the problems appear in order to save lives.
“Based on the new data, I take responsibility for the additional measures for the protection of public health," he said. "So, from Thursday 11th until 28 February there will be stricter measures in Attica. The operation of all retail shops in Attica will be suspended and all levels of education will also close and students will follow lessons once again remotely via tele-education apart from special needs schools. Further details of the new measures will be explained on Wednesday by the responsible Ministers.
"We will soon have vaccinated 500,000 people. We have one of the best rates of vaccination in Europe and we have started giving the second shots to health workers and the elderly. Soon the vaccinations will also begin for other categories and we will be receiving large numbers of vaccines very shortly.
"We have a plan and by the end of spring the most vulnerable people will have been protected. A big step in this direction is to ensure the measures coming into force this week are successful. We will adhere to them and we will win!"
He said that the aim is to always stay one step ahead of the virus. This is what brought results in the last lockdown in January.
"Now, however, the danger is reappearing. Not with thousands of hospitalisations and deaths as in other European countries but with two facts that worry us greatly. On the one hand, the increase of hospitalisations in Attica… and, on the other, the mutations of the virus that seem to accelerate its transmissibility. We could wait a few more days but the danger signs are visible and we have learned to be proactive and not to take action after the problems appear in order to save lives.
“Based on the new data, I take responsibility for the additional measures for the protection of public health," he said. "So, from Thursday 11th until 28 February there will be stricter measures in Attica. The operation of all retail shops in Attica will be suspended and all levels of education will also close and students will follow lessons once again remotely via tele-education apart from special needs schools. Further details of the new measures will be explained on Wednesday by the responsible Ministers.
"We will soon have vaccinated 500,000 people. We have one of the best rates of vaccination in Europe and we have started giving the second shots to health workers and the elderly. Soon the vaccinations will also begin for other categories and we will be receiving large numbers of vaccines very shortly.
"We have a plan and by the end of spring the most vulnerable people will have been protected. A big step in this direction is to ensure the measures coming into force this week are successful. We will adhere to them and we will win!"
