Stiff Fines in Greece for Covid-19 Carelessness

Greek Deputy Minister for Civil Protection Nikos Hardalias.

Greek authorities have not only tightened measures aimed at restricting the spread of the deadly Covid-19, but are also slapping violators with steep fines for carelessness, Deputy Civil Protection Minister Nikos Hardalias said on Tuesday, on the back of yet another increase to 961 coronavirus cases in the last week.

Hardalias said authorities would be carrying out checks to ensure that preventative measures, which include mandatory face mask wearing in all public spaces as well as curfews are being implemented by both individuals and businesses.

Greece announced on Monday additional measures including the closure of bars, clubs, restaurants, mobile catering services, wedding venues, and entertainment events on such popular tourist islands as Corfu, Mykonos, Paros, Santorini, Rhodes, Antiparos, Zakynthos and Kos from midnight through to 7am.

Businesses failing to shut down at midnight will face a 10,000-euro fine and closure for 20 days should they violate the law a second time.

Greek authorities are concerned not only with the rise in Covid-19 cases but also with the age groups the virus is affecting with 78.44 percent of the recent cases in the 20-69 age bracket.

The minister reiterated that measures would be added or removed depending on the epidemiological data in each region.

Greece also announced on Monday that it would be requiring incoming travelers from Sweden, Czech Republic, Belgium, Spain, and The Netherlands as of August 17 to present a negative molecular test result (PCR) for coronavirus on arrival.

Hardalias clarified that as of August 17, children under 10 entering Greece will not be required to produce a negative test result.

“Children born after 2011 will be able to enter the country, through land borders and by air, without having performed a PCR test,” he said.

Additional measures were also announced for travelers entering Greece’s land borders as of August 17.

On Tuesday, Greece’s National Organization of Public Health confirmed 126 new infections in the latest 24-hour period bringing the total number to 5,749, 10 of which found at the country’s entry points. Greece has so far recorded 214 deaths from Covid-19.

Greek authorities also announced the cancelation of the annual Thessaloniki International Fair, scheduled for September 5-13, set to cost the northern port city up to 50 million euros in damages.

In the meantime, police and port authority inspections across Greece have identified dozens of violations particularly on the islands for F&B establishments and clubs failing to implement social distancing and mask wearing.

Since the beginning of the month, authorities have found 3,367 violations for failure to wear a mask.