Greece: Curfew on bars and restaurants as coronavirus cases rise

A cafe-restaurant staff stands outside a shop as people drink coffee in Monastiraki district of Athens. Credit: AP

Greece has imposed a curfew on bars, restaurants and cafes in several regions following a spike in coronavirus cases.

The country has recorded at least 202 new confirmed Covid-19 cases in the past 24 hours, raising fears of a wider outbreak.

Greece has largely been seen as a success story in the pandemic - with a total of 212 coronavirus deaths reported and around 5,623 cases.

From midnight on Tuesday, certain businesses will be forced to close for a daily curfew period in regions of the country.

Bars, restaurants and cafes in popular holiday spots including Crete, Corfu, Mykonos and Zakynthos will need to shut their doors from midnight until 7am.

The Greek government has warned the ban could be extended depending on the development of the rise in cases.

The Museum of the Ancient Agora, a major archaeological site in central Athens, is being closed for two weeks. Credit: AP

Other areas included in the new restrictions are Eastern Macedonia, Thrace, Thessaloniki, Halkidiki, Larissa, Paros, Santorini, Volos, Katerini, Rhodes, Antiparos and Kos.

The country is also introducing stricter measures at its borders.

From 17 August, those arriving by flight from Sweden, Czech Republic, Belgium, Spain and the Netherlands will need to provide evidence of a negative Covid-19 test result from the past 72 hours.

On its land borders, all those arriving to Greece - citizens included - will need to proof of a negative test under the same conditions too.

The country has also banned public events - including concerts and performances - where people are standing.