Lockdown if necessary in some of Greece’s most popular islands

A number of Greece's most popular islands will be confronted with a local lockdown where there has been over the last two weeks a continual steep rise in confirmed COVID-19 cases Some experts have projected a possible 10,000 cases a day by mid-August.

That is over three times the number of cases in the last 24 hours (2,691) announced today by the National Public Health Organisation.

The government and public health authorities are focusing on five islands that are top tourist destinations - Mykonos, Ios, Paros, Santorini, and the areas of Iraklio and Rethymno on the island of Crete.

In one week there was a threefold increase in the number cases in Mykonos, fivefold in Ios, and a sevenfold hike in Paros.

Moreover, in one week there was a threefold increase in the number of cases in Iraklio, while the cases in Rethymno doubled in the same period.

All of the above regions have now been characterised as code orange with heightened monitoring and testing due to the high viral load. The municipality of Salamina and certain mainland regions have also been placed in the same category.

Tourism minister: Local lockdowns if necessary

Tourism Minister Haris Theocharis left open the possibility of local lockdowns, but only if absolutely necessary if the situation spins out of control.

"If a situation is tending to get out of control, obviously we must consent to a local lockdown. This is not pleasant. We do not want local lockdowns," Theocharis told ERT state television.

"The responsibility lies with local societies, yet I cannot avoid it [a lockdown] if that is what the situation mandates."

Theocharis underlined that the tourist season is closely linked to the situation created by the pandemic in the...