The countdown to a return to normality seems to have begun, despite the extension of the lockdown until March 22, due to the outbreak of the pandemic in the country.
The gradual lifting of measures is expected to take place in three phases: First, retail trade will reopen, then students will return to school, and finally, by mid-April, restaurants are expected to reopen.
However, everything will be determined by the course of the cases and the pressure on hospitals. Already, two private clinics have been made available to the National Health System to alleviate the situation, with everyone's hopes pinned on the effectiveness of the latest government measures.
Staikouras: The economy will start to function
In his statements, the Minister of Finance, Christos Staikouras, stated: «Our basic scenario is that Starting next week, the economy will begin to operate normally.. However, We have alternative scenarios in place to weigh up our cash reserves for the support we will need to provide. We are here to support society as long as necessary. But the longer the situation continues, the less likely it is that we will be able to cover the existing losses as much as possible.
Mr. Staikouras added that «if the restart begins in March, then we will be closer to the budget targets. Consider that the primary result of the new support measures will be €4 billion higher,» noting that this is not the time to revise the budget. «We do not have sufficient data for 2021 and we do not know how the economy will perform even for the second half of March,» he added regarding this year's GDP performance.
Schools and restaurants are opening
During the briefing of political editors, the government spokesperson, Aristotelia Peloni, referred to opening of schools, emphasizing that At the end of the month, middle and high school students will return to their desks..
Ms. Peloni also gave a timetable for the reopening of the canteen, noting that The stores will open in April. that have outdoor areas in May and the rest. As for focus The most likely date is April 19. However, both the government and the committee of experts have made it clear that the opening of the focus Outdoor activities will only take place if epidemiological data allow it and if vaccinations against coronavirus.
Vatopoulos: Restaurants likely to reopen in April
Regarding the lifting of restrictions, Alkiviadis Vatopoulos, professor of Microbiology at the University of West Attica, speaking to SKAI, said that it has not yet been decided whether they will open simultaneously and schools and retail trade, although, as he noted, there is an objective need for both. «And Schools must open, as the Panhellenic exams are in two months.. Our intention is that once something opens, it should not close again. That is why this opening must be done according to rules and without overcrowding,’ added the professor of Microbiology.
At the same time, he left open the possibility that outdoor dining could resume in April, but noted that travel between prefectures cannot yet be resumed, although this could happen at Easter depending on the epidemiological data.
