New measures – Effective from 6 am – All changes in work, food service, retail

The unvaccinated are faced with a new reality (once again), from today, as from 6 in the morning the new restrictive measures came into force to limit the spread of the coronavirus, in view of the holidays as well.

The new measures that – based on the relevant Government Gazette – will be valid until Monday, December 6, mainly concern the exclusion of the unvaccinated from activities and entertainment, putting them in a peculiar lockdown, as they will not be able to enter cinemas, theaters, museums, and gyms. Their entrance will not be possible even with the demonstration of a negative test.

Otherwise, the shops will open at 10 in the morning, while the attendance at the workplaces in the Public and Private sector, will be done in stages and with rolling hours.

At the same time, government officials say in every tone that if necessary, additional measures will be taken for unvaccinated citizens and emphasize that no kind of horizontal lockdown is on the table.

Everything that is changing

Unvaccinated people will no longer be able to get tested even indoors, specifically in:

– Food service venues (ie  restaurants)
– Nightclubs
– Theaters
– Cinemas
– Museums
– Exhibitions
– Conferences
– Gyms
– Stadiums

With rapid test results they will be able to enter:

– Churches
– Retail shops
– Hairdressers
– Open Dining Areas

They will have free access to:

– Super Markets
– Food shops
– Gas stations
– Pharmacies

What applies to work – retail

The shops will now open at 10 in the morning. They will operate on a continuous schedule until 9 pm.

On the contrary, supermarkets and grocery stores maintain their opening hours.

The attendance at the workplaces in Public and Private sector will be done in stages and with a rolling schedule from 7 to 9.30 in the morning.

The covid pass of those aged 60+ years expires in 7 months

Also, the vaccination certificate for those over 60 will have an expiration date, while in order to renew it, they will have to get the third dose of the vaccine, within the framework of the measures announced by the government.

Specifically, as the Minister of Health, Thanos Plevris, said, seven months after its issuance, the certificate of entry into closed spaces for vaccinated people over 60 years of age will cease to be valid.

As of 13/12 a person in this category, in order to be considered fully vaccinated, must get the third dose.

Masks

It is noted that the first protection measures are still in force, such as the use of a protective mask in all indoor areas, including workplaces and in all outdoor areas where there is congestion, as well as the rule of keeping distances of one and a half meters between people. (one person per 2 sq.m.) indoors and outdoors, either only for fully vaccinated and those that have been infected during the last six months or mixed.

Education

According to the Government Gazette, the lifelong educational operation of all primary, secondary and special education units (kindergartens, primary, all-day schools, high schools and lyceums of general and vocational education) continues with the measures that are already in force.

Conducting any form of educational process in the context of degree programs of universities, such as the teaching of courses, the conduct of seminars, the independent teaching of in-depth courses In small groups of students, laboratory exercises, clinical exercises and student internships are to be conducted live and in accordance with the coronavirus prevention measures already in force.

Similarly, with the physical presence of the trainees and the instructors and the protection measures in force so far, structures within the Detention Centers, the Vocational Training Institutes , the Lifelong Learning Centers, and Second Chance Schools will operate.

Also, the lifelong operation of tutoring centers and language centers in accordance with the protection measures continues.

Specifically, for the participation in the course, the students, candidates and the teachers of the tuition centers / foreign language centers who do not present a certificate of vaccination or a certificate of illness within the last semester, students and candidates will have to present to the person in charge of the tuition center, and teachers a certificate of negative self-test conducted twice  weekly or show a certificate of negative diagnostic rapid test (PCR) performed twice weekly at their expense.

For the rest of the staff of the language schools / centers that do not present a vaccination certificate or a certificate of illness within the last six months, respectively, what is valid in the private sector applies accordingly.