Covid-19: Stores open in Greece amid virus surge to help rescue economy

Retail stores across most of Greece were allowed to reopen Monday despite an ongoing surge in COVID-19 infections, as the country battled to emerge from deep recession.

Stores in greater Athens opened for pick-up services only but remain closed in Greece's second- and third-largest cities, Thessaloniki and Patras, due to fears of a more serious spike in infections.

Lockdown measures have been in force since early November, although shops opened briefly around the Christmas holiday season. The prolonged closures piled pressure on the economy.

Greek economic output shrank by 8.2% in 2020 while the national debt as a percentage of gross domestic product shot over 200%.

About 16% of the country's residents have received at least one dose of the coronavirus vaccination but infection rates continue to rise. The center-right government has pinned its reopening policy on the mass distribution of test kits that will be provided for free on a weekly basis to help reopen schools, expected later this month, and the country's vital tourism industry in mid-May.