New Year’s Eve until 2am without music – New Covid measures from 30 December
COVID-19
29 Dec 2021
/ 17:09
ATHENS. The Health Minister Thanos Plevris announced that the new measures will come into force from 6:00 on Thursday 30 December.
The Health Minister Thanos Plevris announced that the new measures will come into force from 6:00 on Thursday 30 December.
Following the spike in cases, the measures that were to be implemented on 3 January will be in force from tomorrow. In particular:
Catering and entertainment venues will have to close at midnight and there will only be seated customers and a maximum of 6 people. Music is prohibited. Organised parties are also prohibited.
On New Year's Eve, the venues will be open until 2am, but again without music and only with seated customers.
The following measures will be in force:
- Increased protection masks (KN95/FFP2) or double masks are mandatory for public transport, supermarkets and wherever there are crowds as well as for workers in the catering sector.
- Catering and entertainment venues will have to close at midnight and there will only be seated customers. A maximum of 6 people may sit at a table and proper distancing maintained.
- Sports venues will be allowed to operate at only 10 percent capacity, with a cap on 1,000 spectators. If it is seen that the measures are not being adhered to, matches will take place behind closed doors.
- Visitors at care homes must present a negative Covid-19 PCR test performed at least 48 hours earlier. There will be stricter control over visits at healthcare facilities.
- There will be up to 50% teleworking in the public and private sectors.
Statement from Health Minister:
“As we had previously announced, the government asked the Committee to convene due to the Omicron variant in order to discuss the new measures. At the moment, in hospitals there are mainly patients with the Delta variant, while in the community the Omicron variant is the dominant one.
The cases we will see today prove that the Omicron variant is dominant. The National Health System must continue to cope with the situation. We have come to an agreement with the private sector to provide us with staff and beds. Hospitalisations due to the Omicron variant are fewer and not all on the same days.
At the same time, the Committee unanimously urges people to get vaccinated because the vaccine can protect people from the Omicron variant and fake news saying otherwise must stop. It is milder because the vaccination rate has gone up by 10%. The booster shots are over 75%, while in vulnerable groups the vaccination rate is over 90% – either scheduled or already done.
The government will re-evaluate the possibility of making vaccinations mandatory, as well as the time of period that the certificates will be valid with the rights of the vaccinated.”
Following the spike in cases, the measures that were to be implemented on 3 January will be in force from tomorrow. In particular:
Catering and entertainment venues will have to close at midnight and there will only be seated customers and a maximum of 6 people. Music is prohibited. Organised parties are also prohibited.
On New Year's Eve, the venues will be open until 2am, but again without music and only with seated customers.
The following measures will be in force:
- Increased protection masks (KN95/FFP2) or double masks are mandatory for public transport, supermarkets and wherever there are crowds as well as for workers in the catering sector.
- Catering and entertainment venues will have to close at midnight and there will only be seated customers. A maximum of 6 people may sit at a table and proper distancing maintained.
- Sports venues will be allowed to operate at only 10 percent capacity, with a cap on 1,000 spectators. If it is seen that the measures are not being adhered to, matches will take place behind closed doors.
- Visitors at care homes must present a negative Covid-19 PCR test performed at least 48 hours earlier. There will be stricter control over visits at healthcare facilities.
- There will be up to 50% teleworking in the public and private sectors.
Statement from Health Minister:
“As we had previously announced, the government asked the Committee to convene due to the Omicron variant in order to discuss the new measures. At the moment, in hospitals there are mainly patients with the Delta variant, while in the community the Omicron variant is the dominant one.
The cases we will see today prove that the Omicron variant is dominant. The National Health System must continue to cope with the situation. We have come to an agreement with the private sector to provide us with staff and beds. Hospitalisations due to the Omicron variant are fewer and not all on the same days.
At the same time, the Committee unanimously urges people to get vaccinated because the vaccine can protect people from the Omicron variant and fake news saying otherwise must stop. It is milder because the vaccination rate has gone up by 10%. The booster shots are over 75%, while in vulnerable groups the vaccination rate is over 90% – either scheduled or already done.
The government will re-evaluate the possibility of making vaccinations mandatory, as well as the time of period that the certificates will be valid with the rights of the vaccinated.”
