The Greek government on Tuesday announced another clampdown aimed to prevent a surge of coronavirus cases, as the country faces a possible rapid outbreak of the Delta variant and what appears to be unwillingness by a large minority in the country to get vaccinated.
Specifically, the top civil defense official said that as of Thursday all food-&-beverage establishments, and especially night clubs, will operate exclusively with seated customers. The measure aims to stop clubs and beach bars overflowing with standing patrons, mostly young people, with a good portion considered as not having received at least one of four Covid-19 vaccines available in the country.
The measure will be accompanied by fines and at least a one-week closure for the first confirmed violation; a third violation ascertained at a business is accompanied by suspension of the latter’s operating license.
Even more ominously, and in an unprecedented measure, after a relevant ministerial decision is issued in the coming days authorities will have the ability to impose sanctions even after the fact, based on material derived from social media, posted videos and even complaints.
“With the first violation (ascertained), a business will be shut down (for a week, by authorities),” Deputy Civil Defense Minister Nikos Hardalias said.
While related daily deaths in the east Mediterranean country are now in the single digits and intubated Covid-19 patients in all ICUs are under 200, the number of single-day new instances of the virus more than doubled over the past week, rising to nearly 1,800 on Tuesday.
Hardalias “sounded the alarm” on Tuesday, warning that people without a vaccination now risk contracting the Delta variant, which is considered a more dangerous strain of the coronavirus.
He also said new cases of Covid-19 are affecting younger age groups, with the average age now in Greece being 27. “Since last Monday we’ve recorded a dramatic rise in the number of new cases, which have nearly tripled,” he said.
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