As
of 7pm, local time, Athens:
So, it’s official.
We’re on lockdown. So glad I went out on Friday and got those souvlakia… In
theory, we can still go out to get necessities, (food shopping, etc) and go for
walks, but I’ll soon find out how easy or difficult this will be in practice.
#
of confirmed cases: 624 (94 new cases since yesterday)
#
of deaths: 15
#
of people in hospital: 124
Day
14 of staying home
Today
at 6pm, instead of the usual press briefing (Health Ministry & Civil
Protection) the Prime Minister addressed the nation to announce a new measure.
As
of tomorrow, Monday 6am, a ban on public movement will be strictly enforced. The
ban will be in effect until April 6.
Shortly
after the Prime Minister’s 6pm speech, there was another live briefing which
included officials from the Civil Protection Ministry, the Health Ministry, the
Ministry of the Interior, and the Ministry of Digital Governance. Here is a
summary of some of the things that were mentioned:
People
may only leave their homes to go to/from:
-work
(must have documentation/certificate signed by employer)
-doctor’s
appointments/medical care/hospital
-supermarket/pharmacy/necessary
supplies, bank
-help
someone in need
-brief
walk (alone or in pairs) / walk your dog
People
must have ID or passport with them if they go out, along with a form/certificate
(see below). Anyone breaking this prohibition will be fined €150.
Public
transportation will operate on a reduced schedule.
Before going out, you must fill in a form/certificate, which can be
found at forma.gov.gr (Site will be available later tonight).
There
are two types of form. Type A is to travel to/from work, and must only
be filled out once.
Type
B is to be filled out each
time you leave the house, for one of the following reasons:
1. Pharmacy/doctor
2. Supplies, supermarket etc
3. Bank
4. Help others in need
5. To attend funeral, christening, wedding (in accordance with new measures). Or for divorced parents to see children.
6. Brief walk alone or in pairs (keeping proper
distance). To walk the dog.
There
are three ways to fill out the necessary form/certificate.
1. From the website, forma.gov.gr
2. You can hand-write your own, including the
relevant information
3. By texting (for free), the number (1-6) of the reason along with your name and address to 13033
In
addition, drones and helicopters will be used to patrol and enforce the new
measure. There will be strict checks at toll booths on the highways as well. The maximum number of people allowed to ride in cars is two, the driver plus one passenger.
The
briefing ended with one of the officials (I think it he was Civil Protection
official) recalling the words of Albert Camus’ novel, The Plague:
“The
only way to fight the plague is with decency.”
***
So, it’s official.
We’re on lockdown. So glad I went out on Friday and got those souvlakia… In
theory, we can still go out to get necessities, (food shopping, etc) and go for
walks, but I’ll soon find out how easy or difficult this will be in practice.
Since aimlessly wandering around Athens(in search of souvlaki or otherwise) apparently isn't an option anymore, I'll be reading more of this book, Walking in Athens by Nikos Vatopoulos, translated from Greek by Joshua Barley, published by Metaichimio in 2019.
Vatopoulos is sort of, literally, a walking encyclopedia on Athenian neighborhoods, history, architecture, urban landscape. He's a columnist in Kathimerini's Sunday edition and the book is a compilation of his articles and photos. You can see an excerpt of the book here.
He, too, is an observer of an ever-evolving Athens. For now, his words and pictures will be my consolation.
In what way will this new crisis leave lasting changes on the city, on its history, on its people?
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