Greece imposes 3-week lockdown to save hospitals
AP
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Greece's prime minister has announced a nationwide three-week lockdown starting Saturday, saying that the increase in coronavirus infections must be stopped before the country's health care system comes under “unbearable” pressure.

Medical workers treat a patient with COVID-19 in the intensive care unit at the eHnv hospital (Etablissements Hospitaliers du Nord Vaudois) during the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) outbreak, in Yverdon-les-Bains, Switzerland, Wednesday, November 4, 2020.(Photo: AP)

The main difference between this lockdown and the one Greece imposed in the spring is that kindergartens and primary schools will remain open. High schools will operate by remote learning. The lockdown goes until Nov. 30.

Residents will only be able to leave their homes for specific reasons such as work, medical appointments or exercise, and after informing authorities by text message. Retail businesses will be shut down but not supermarkets and food stores. Restaurants will operate on a delivery-only basis.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said he “chose once again to take drastic measures sooner rather than later” after seeing an “aggressive increase in cases” over the last five days.

On Wednesday, Greece announced a record 18 daily deaths and 2,646 new cases, bringing the total confirmed cases to just under 47,000 and the deaths to 673.