A teacher takes the temperature of Greece's Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis as he arrives at a primary school on the first day of class of the new academic year in ATHENS, on September 14, 2020. Schools open on Monday amid concerns due to a new spike i
ATHENS - Greek authorities on Tuesday tightened restrictions to stem the spread of the coronavirus in the greater Athens area, saying the pandemic was showing "worrying signs of resilience".
Health authorities reported 310 new confirmed COVID-19 infections on Tuesday and three deaths, bringing the total number since the first coronavirus case was detected on Feb. 25 to 13,730 and deaths to 313.
"The prefecture of Attica is now between a moderate to high epidemiological risk. There is an increase in the occupancy of intensive care beds," Deputy Civil Protection Minister Nikos Hardalias told reporters.
The new measures will suspend the operation of live music establishments for 14 days and make the wearing of masks mandatory in all closed workspaces, private and public.
Masks will also be required in open-air spaces in the greater Athens area, where about one-third of the country's population lives when the rule of a minimum of 1.5 metres of social distancing cannot be observed.
For those older than 65, authorities urged the use of masks everywhere. In restaurants, there will be a maximum limit of six people seated per table while cinemas and theatres will be allowed to seat only at 60% capacity.
Open-air produce markets will be allowed to operate at 50% capacity, mask-wearing will be mandatory for both consumers and producers and a minimum distance of three metres must separate benches.
"The epidemiological load is showing spreading trends in greater Athens," said professor Gikas Magiorkinis, an infectious diseases expert.
