Along with most countries throughout the world, Greece is going through the second wave of the pandemic. Cases are growing exponentially and deaths are climbing over the psychological barrier of 1000, since the beginning of this ordeal. The pressure on our medical infrastructure is reaching peak limits and the medical staff is exhausted. As of last night, Greece is under a general mandated curfew, from 9 pm to 5 am, with very few, well-documented, allowed exceptions.
Our economy, depressed from the first lockdown, last early Spring, and the grave crisis in last Summer's tourism, is really struggling to barely survive, and maintain supply of the basic commodities and services throughout the country. All cultural activities, theaters, cinemas, dance schools and conservatoires, art galleries are banned, and our artists are without substantial aid from the state. The archaeological sites and museums are closed. The country is in an actual standstill, anxiously awaiting some good news for a near-future availability of a safe vaccine, or effective medication.
Schools and universities are closed, and students are trying to make some progress through long-distance education, with the infrastructure struggling to cope with the increased demand. In a few hours, the Secretary of Education is expected to announce that pre-school and Elementary schools will close too, as of Monday. This will place a further burden on the average family, who will have to keep one adult family member at home, to mind the stranded child.
As for me, I will miss the laughter, the happy exchanges of youth between the children, the loud advice of mothers as their children approach the nearby school, the same one that I attended for the first three years of my school age, more than half a century ago...
Our economy, depressed from the first lockdown, last early Spring, and the grave crisis in last Summer's tourism, is really struggling to barely survive, and maintain supply of the basic commodities and services throughout the country. All cultural activities, theaters, cinemas, dance schools and conservatoires, art galleries are banned, and our artists are without substantial aid from the state. The archaeological sites and museums are closed. The country is in an actual standstill, anxiously awaiting some good news for a near-future availability of a safe vaccine, or effective medication.
Schools and universities are closed, and students are trying to make some progress through long-distance education, with the infrastructure struggling to cope with the increased demand. In a few hours, the Secretary of Education is expected to announce that pre-school and Elementary schools will close too, as of Monday. This will place a further burden on the average family, who will have to keep one adult family member at home, to mind the stranded child.
As for me, I will miss the laughter, the happy exchanges of youth between the children, the loud advice of mothers as their children approach the nearby school, the same one that I attended for the first three years of my school age, more than half a century ago...