Cafes, eating places reopen in Greece for outside service

ATHENS, Greece — Cafes and eating places reopened in Greece on Monday for sit-down service for the primary time in almost six months, because the nation started easing coronavirus-related restrictions with a view to opening the very important tourism business in the summertime.

Cafes, eating places and bars, which had been shut to all however takeout and supply providers when lockdown-type measures have been imposed in early November, reopened for outside seated service solely. Tables are set a sure distance aside to keep up social distancing, whereas standing prospects and music aren’t allowed.

The reopening comes on a nationwide vacation, the day after Orthodox Easter, and many individuals took benefit of the unseasonably heat climate to move to sidewalk cafes.

A most of six prospects are allowed per desk, whereas workers should perform obligatory coronavirus house self-tests. A nightly curfew that was in pressure from 9 p.m. is being pushed again to 11 p.m. as of Monday, with bars, eating places and cafes allowed to stay open till quarter-hour earlier than curfew.

In current weeks, the curfew had been largely ignored, with bars and cafes serving drinks for takeout, and crowds of shoppers forming outdoors, standing on sidewalks and in close by condo entrances.

Greece has been progressively easing restrictions regardless of stubbornly excessive an infection charges and hospitalizations which have strained its well being system. The nation of about 11 million individuals has seen greater than 10,500 deaths and 348,500 confirmed circumstances because the begin of the pandemic, based on the newest figures launched Monday.

Tourism is a crucial business for the nation, and tourism-related companies and providers are scheduled to reopen on Could 15.

Greece’s vaccination drive has been choosing up tempo, with the vaccine appointment reserving system now open to all these ages 30 and over. Thus far, the nation has administered simply over 3 million vaccines, with simply over 2 million of these being first doses and greater than 944,000 individuals being totally vaccinated with each doses. As of Wednesday, Greece may even begin administering the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine.

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