Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced in a televised address to the nation on Thursday that a nationwide lockdown will be imposed starting Saturday to combat the spread of the coronavirus.
The lockdown, which will last until the end of November, will be similar to the first lockdown imposed in March and April.
“The exponential increase in cases forces me to take action now. I cannot take responsibility for endangering human lives,” Mitsotakis said.
He added that the decision is based on scientific data, “which are indisputable.”
The Prime Minister noted that the lockdown “will look like but will not be exactly the same as the one imposed in March.”
An SMS will be required explaining the reason for traveling outside the home, while all supermarkets and pharmacies will remain open.
PM Mitsotakis stressed, however, that the main difference compared to March is that kindergartens, primary schools, as well as special education schools, at all levels, will remain open.
High schools, however, will remain closed, with students continuing their education through online classes.
The use of a mask is now mandatory whenever one is outside the home, PM Mitsotakis stressed.
The decision follows a record number of new infections in recent weeks. The National Organization for Public Health (EODY) announced 2,646 new cases were detected on Wednesday.
This is a developing story.