Stelios Petsas

The Greek government announced on Saturday a one-week closure of all retail businesses that were allowed to open during the holidays, as well as the closure of all houses of worship, to prepare for the reopening of schools.

Greece is stepping up national quarantine measures introduced because of COVID-19 till January 11. Service sector companies that have so far been allowed to work are being shut down, government spokesman Stelios Petsas said today, as quoted by TASS news agency.

The Greek government announced a one-week closure of all the retail businesses that were allowed to open during the holidays, as well as all closure of all houses of worship, to prepare for the reopening of schools.

The government will, in the coming days, decide if all levels of education can reopen on January 8, spokesman Stelios Petsas told state broadcaster ERT on Wednesday.

The decision will hinge on incoming epidemiological data, he said.

The Greek government Tuesday dismissed the latest call by Turkey for a renegotiation of the Lausanne Treaty of 1923, which set out the modern borders between the two countries, noting that the only difference between Athens and Ankara, which can be addressed in the context of exploratory contacts, is the delimitation of the maritime zones.

Government officials agree that any discussions with the advisory committee of health experts on the further reopening of retail commerce cannot take place before early January, indicating a resumption of trade after the expiry of the latest lockdown on January 7.

The reopening of kindergartens and primary schools on Friday, January 8 or Monday, January 11, followed at a later date by middle and high schools is the most probable scenario for the return of students and teachers to the classroom.

The final decision is expected on Monday.

The government's priority is to reopen schools in early January with a discussion being launched on Tuesday between the expert advisers and Education Minister Niki Kerameus on how this should be done, government spokesman Stelios Petsas said on Tuesday.

The government will decide in January whether to partially reopen the retail sector following consultations with the expert committee advising on the coronavirus, according to ministers on Tuesday.

Speaking to Skai radio station, government spokesman Stelios Petsas said the talks with the experts will be held "next week."

Greece's lockdown measures will not be amended over New Year's Eve, government spokesman Stelios Petsas said Monday, while urging the public to abide by Covid-19 safety measures.

Petsas said that reopening schools remains a priority for the government, adding that Education Ministry officials are expected to address the issue in a meeting with health experts this week.