Greece orders nationwide lockdown to curb COVID-19 surge

Greece ordered a nationwide lockdown for three weeks on Thursday, its second this year, to help contain a resurgence of COVID-19 after a sharp increase in infections this week. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said he was forced to act after a spike in cases in the past five days, saying that without a lockdown pressure on the healthcare system would be “unbearable”. “I’ve chosen to take drastic measures sooner rather than later,” said Mitsotakis, who had previously said a nationwide lockdown was a last option. Officials said that in the past week alone, there was a 20% increase in confirmed infections. From next Monday, people arriving by air will require proof of a negative coronavirus test, taken within 48 hours of travel.