ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece has extended a lockdown on the island of Kalymnos for a week on Saturday as coronavirus infections there remained high, authorities said.
Under the lockdown imposed on May 4, residents are allowed to leave home only for workplaces that remain open, to visit the doctor or pharmacy, to walk their pets or for shopping until 6 p.m. at the supermarket. They can leave the island only for health reasons. The restrictions will remain in place until 6 a.m. on May 24.
Greece formally opened to visitors on Saturday, kicking off a summer season it hopes will resurrect its tourism industry battered by the coronavirus pandemic.
Deputy Citizens’ Protection Minister Nikos Hardalias called on Kalymnos residents to show “a little more patience and perseverance… so that our beautiful islands return to normality.”
(Reporting by Karolina Tagaris; Editing by Chris Reese)
