Trade closed, hairdressers and bookstores open – All new measures

The heavy epidemiological burden eventually forced, as expected, the government to reverse the expectations it had created in previous weeks for the opening of retail.

The vast majority of stores will remain closed until at least January 7, only with the possibility of operation by the click away method, while hairdressers and bookstores open.

At the same time, the government succumbed to pressure from the Church and the temples will be open to the faithful only for Christmas Day and the Enlightenment, with the responsibility for the observance of the measures passing to the … metropolises and the Archdiocese .

Finally, for the period from December 14 to January 7, the traffic ban is modified and will be valid from 22 to 5 in the morning and not from 9 at night that was in force until now.

In his introductory statement, Stelios Petsas spoke about a pressing situation throughout the country and especially in northern Greece, and announced that the resumption of economic activities as planned by the government could not continue.

The government spokesman pointed out that the situation in the ICU is suffocating with an occupancy of 83% in the whole country, 77% in Attica and 91% in Thessaloniki.

The new measures announced

1. Maintenance of retail closings throughout the territory. Since the couriers are under suffocating pressure, exceptionally from Sunday to Thursday January 7, the customer will be able to go to the stores to pick up their order (click away).
2. The opening of the hairdresser from Monday to January 7 with extended hours from 7 in the morning to 9 at night. Its operation will be carried out exclusively by appointment and in strict compliance with the protocols.
3. Opening of bookstores throughout the country with the possibility of extended hours with 4 clients in stores of up to 14 m2. or one client for every 5 square meters.
4. Opening of churches to the faithful only for the days of Christmas and Epiphany. Nine people are allowed inside the churches and 25 in the metropolises. The metropolises and the Archdiocese will be responsible for the observance of the measures. There will be no sanctification of outdoor water in Fota.
5. Maintaining the curfew from 22 to 5 in the morning, from Sunday to January 7.
6. The sending of SMS is maintained for the necessary transport, while for hairdressers and stores that are open an SMS will be sent with the number 2.
7. The mandatory quarantine for those who return from abroad is limited to 3 of the ten days in force with the measure from December 18 to January 7.

Read the full roadmap

Click away and Georgiadis ads

For his part, the Minister of Public Works announced that the government “will only allow the click away operation, that is, the retail sale with a pre-purchase and reception process from outside the store. Exceptionally for reasons of symbolism and for reasons of promoting the spirit and culture of pure bookstore retail. “

Regarding the click away service, Adonis Georgiadis clarified that “we do not pretend that click away can equalize in companies the damage of non-exploitation of retail trade”. For this reason, the companies that will operate with click away are understood as closed by state order and will normally receive all the benefits and protection measures that until now they received as completely closed ”and he warned that if the measures are not implemented and they comply with overcrowding, then the government will withdraw the measure.

How Click away will work

• Optional opening hours 7 pm – 9 pm and optional store operations on Sundays, December 13, 20 and 27.
• Electronic or telephone pre-purchase of goods by the customer.
• The company will register the order and send the customer either an invoice or a message that will include the following information: Name-Address, TIN, time of receipt
• Payment will be made only electronically or via POS outside the store entrance.
• The collection will be made only from the entrance of the store and only by one person.
• Stores that do not have access to the street, such as shopping malls and closed shopping centers, will not be able to operate with a click.

The two “Ef.Syn” questions. that Stelios Petsas exhibited

“Efimerida ton Syntakton” journalist Giannis Baskakis asked the government representative two questions, with Stelios Petsas in a difficult position.

The first concerned the opening of churches and whether there is a provision for divine communion, with Stelios Petsas throwing the ball on the podium stating that it “has to do with the operation of our doctrine” without answering on the merits.

The second question was about the conditions and the code under which citizens will be able to visit their homes during the holidays. Once again, Stelios Petsas, consequently the government, was surprised saying “let’s wait for the implementation of the new measures this week and there will be new information.”