Noncompliance could lead to New Year' Eve restrictions

A police officer looks on as people take in the festively decorated Syntagma Square in central Athens. Government spokesman Stelios Petsas cautioned again on Monday against complacency with regard to safety rules in place during the week of Christmas, warning that noncompliance and lax attitudes will force the authorities to impose even stricter restrictions for New Year's Eve celebrations. "We do not want to take any steps backward," Petsas told a press briefing. "Given that the vaccination [program] is about to start, we want to be looking to the future with optimism," he said. [Intime News]