The operation of shops retail trade except in department stores and shopping centres, from Monday 5 April, using the methods click away and click in shop, in the context of adjustments to existing measures in order to achieve better results at every level (health, social and economic), announced during a briefing on the progress of the pandemic of the infection, COVID-19, the Minister of State for Civil Protection and Crisis Management, Nikos Chardalias.
At the same time, from Saturday 3 April, and only on weekends, it will be permitted to travel for personal exercise by vehicle in an outdoor area, up to 3 people or a family and avoiding any mass confusion.
Specifically, regarding retail trade, Mr.Hardalias said that shops are allowed to operate, using a special code once and up to 3 hours in total during the day. It will be possible to sell outside the shop by appointment with the so-called click away and to sell in the shop again by appointment (click in shop). Within the store will be allowed 1 customer per 25sq.m, with a maximum of 20 customers per case.
On the subject of commuting, inter-municipal commuting is being piloted starting this weekend and only on weekends, giving the opportunity to exercise outside of our municipality of residence. Chardalias made it clear that any images of overcrowding will lead them to remove this possibility.
«We want people to relax and exercise, but it has to be done by rules. So starting this Saturday, pilot per family or up to 3 people per move, but with a clear recommendation from us to avoid crowds and abuse of this opportunity and especially with mandatory mask use. We are using the possibility of inter-municipal travel at weekends sparingly and prudently, so that we do not have to remove the measure because of new confusion due to new overcrowding. So let us get out of our homes, with measures, but let us vent away from crowds in houses and small spaces which we know very well anyway, favour the spread and transmission of the virus», Mr.Chardalias noted.
Regarding schools, the Deputy Minister said that the operation of schools will be evaluated next week, with a view to starting some classes on 12 April and using the self-diagnostic home test, adding that the operation of department stores and shopping centres will be re-evaluated.
Mr.Chardalias pointed out that «given the fatigue after a year of hard fighting, the new mix of measures, this new redistribution of activities with restrictions but also strict surveillance in their implementation, will give greater degrees, small breaths of freedom that in turn will help in the better implementation of protection measures and we believe that will limit the outbreaks of over-proliferation».
Furthermore, it stated that the precondition is individual responsibility, the use of the new degrees of freedom and better compliance with the measures in order to avoid gatherings in homes, parties, mixing in various places that has cost a large spread of the virus.
«As was the case with the hairdressers the activities that will be opened will be opened with rules and with full application of protective measures, masks, distances, observance of hygiene rules. The pandemic continues to show its teeth, there is great pressure on the health system so care is needed in this last mile of the difficult journey. No relaxation,» he stressed while adding: «The measures proposed do not allow for any relaxation and we believe that they will help to better control the epidemic with the additional tools we have at our disposal, because yes, we have additional weapons compared to previous months. We have an increase in the flow of vaccines, a significant proportion of citizens have already been vaccinated, there are now free and reliable tests which will be available from next week, and we are now in spring, the weather, as the epidemiologists themselves admit, has changed, and we can spend more hours outdoors.».
At the same time, Mr.Chardalias made it clear that the purpose of the new regulations is to enable citizens to engage in certain limited additional activities «obviously recognising the epidemiological data that do not allow for relaxation and the mental fatigue that has set in over the last few months».
Furthermore, he stressed that the aim is to increase the level of compliance with measures that they know are effective, such as the mandatory use of masks, avoiding confusion especially in enclosed spaces and keeping distances so that «we can better deal with this pandemic».
«The end of the battle against the pandemic is now in sight, thanks to vaccination, to Operation Freedom. But until vaccines allow us to build the wall of immunity that will make it possible to return to our pre-coronavirus daily lives, it is necessary to remain cautious. We must continue to behave responsibly, adhere to personal protection and social distancing measures so that the end of this unprecedented event finds us and our loved ones healthy,» concluded Mr. Chardalias.
Asked how they will ensure that self-testing will not transfer the responsibility for controlling the pandemic to citizens, and whether there is an example of similar management in Europe, as well as what are the next steps for which the committee will be asked for a recommendation, Mr.Hardalias said: «We are awaiting the relevant instructions. It must be clear that our self-test strategy is complementary to our existing rapid and molecular strategy.
You see that day by day we are increasing the percentage of specific tests, we believe and it is scientifically proven, it is the recommendation of our committee that they will contribute the most to be able to defuse even more, to close the cycle of the spread of the virus», while he added that all this will evolve in the next twenty-four hours with specific political decisions and circulars. «It is a battle that is fought every day, day by day, we weigh the epidemiological data and more and from there on, based on the recommendations of our epidemiologists, we take decisions for the next step,» Mr. Hardalias concluded.
