Covid-19: Greece Announces Midnight Closing for Restaurants and Bars as of January 3

The Greek authorities on Monday announced new Covid-19 restrictions, which include an earlier closing time of midnight for restaurants and bars.

The new measures, which will will take effect from January 3, were announced by Greek Health Minister Thanos Plevris, following the recommendations of Greece’s health committee to curb the spread of the Omicron variant.

The measures, which will be in force until January 16, are the following:

– Entertainment venues (restaurants, cafes and bars) will have to close at midnight and will be open only for vaccinated customers who must be seated (standing customers are not allowed). A maximum of 6 people may sit at a table.

– Sports stadiums will be allowed to operate at only 10 percent capacity, with a cap on 1,000 to 2,000 spectators.

– Increased protection masks (KN95/FFP2) or double masks are mandatory for workers in F&B establishments and hospitals (as well as for people in public transport and shoppers in supermarkets).

– Visitors at hospitals, nursing homes must present a negative Covid-19 PCR test performed at least 48 hours earlier

– School trips are suspended.

– Teleworking will increase by 50 percent for staff in both public and private sectors. Staggered shifts (employees will start work at different times) will be introduced in both sectors.

Greek health authorities on Monday announced a record number of 9,284 new coronavirus cases, 629 patients on ventilators (84.74 percent are unvaccinated) and 66 deaths. Since the start of the pandemic, the total number of cases in the country has reached 1,084,153. The Covid-19 death toll in Greece is 20,496.