Greece extends lockdown to May 4

Greece is extending coronavirus lockdown measures by a week to May 4, the government said Thursday.

The country has managed to keep fatalities at a low level after registering its first virus death on March 12, despite a decade of cuts imposed on its public health system during the post-2010 debt crisis.

Supermarkets, banks and food delivery restaurants are among the few businesses still operating, and Greeks must inform authorities when leaving their homes for necessities, or risk fines.

“Restrictive measures that apply until April 27 are extended by a week to May 4,” government spokesman Stelios Petsas told reporters.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis next week will be announcing steps to remove some of the nationwide lockdown measures imposed on March 22, Petsas added.

The relaxation of the restrictions is set to begin with a partial reopening of courts and land registers on April 27.

The education ministry has also announced plans for final-year school pupils to hold university entry exams in June.

Greece has so far officially announced 121 deaths, with 55 people still in intensive care.