Greece imposed regional lockdowns on its second-largest city of Thessaloniki and two other regions from Friday after a spike in cases of COVID-19, the government said.
The country has recorded significantly lower numbers of COVID-19 than other countries in Europe but cases have been rising rapidly since early October. Testing has also increased.
On Wednesday, Greece registered 1,547 new COVID-19 cases, its highest daily tally. [There were 1,211 new cases reported on Thursday and 12 deaths, bringing the number of victims since the onset of the virus in late February to 615.
“The average age of new infections suggests there is a big correlation with gatherings for entertainment, sport and other activities,” said civil protection minister Nikos Hardalias.
Thursday’s decision puts Thessaloniki and the central cities of Larissa and the northern Rodopi region in the highest risk category on Greece’s four-tier risk assessment scale.
In the highest category, public or private gatherings are banned and movement between districts is prohibited.
6th October 2026
The European Commission is monitoring the suspected outbreak of pneumonic plague in Siberia, Russia, "very closely" and stands ready to coordinate a response among member states if neces...
6th October 2026
Appliance maker Electrolux presented a scaled-down restructuring plan for its Italian operations on Monday, cutting the number of planned job losses and relying on voluntary exits, union...
6th October 2026
Morning Briefing
MUT calls for quality-focused tertiary education
The Malta Union of Teachers has called for a shift in tertiary education away from measuring success by the number...
5th October 2026
Morning Briefing
Labour ‘cannot pretend it heard nothing’ from Fenech trial - PL President
Labour Party president Alex Sciberras has said the party cannot pretend it “heard nothing...
25th June 2026
The European Commission has unveiled an ambitious package of tax reforms aimed at simplifying tax rules across the European Union, reducing compliance burdens for businesses and strength...
10th June 2026
The European Union's new Migration and Asylum Pact enters into force on 12 June, ushering in the most significant reform of the bloc's migration framework in years and placing renewed em...
6th October 2026
Appliance maker Electrolux presented a scaled-down restructuring plan for its Italian operations on Monday, cutting the number of planned job losses and relying on voluntary exits, union...
5th October 2026
Electric vehicle sales in the European Union reached record levels in 2026, driven by a wave of more affordable models as carmakers work to meet EU emissions targets, according to a new ...
5th August 2026
Artificial intelligence has already transformed industries such as finance and education, but one of its most important tests may come in medicine: discovering new drugs.
Pharmaceutic...
2nd August 2026
Malta’s new pay transparency regulations, which came into effect on the 5th of June, aim to strengthen fairness and equality in the workplace, but employers are warning that the rushed i...
2nd October 2026
The Malta Institute of Accountants held its 62nd Annual General Meeting on 24th September 2026 at Villa Arrigo, during which seven of its members were elected to its Council.
The elec...
1st October 2026
The Malta Institute of Accountants held its 62nd Annual General Meeting on 24th September 2026 at Villa Arrigo, during which seven of its members were elected to its Council.
The elec...
3rd September 2026
Fears of renewed escalation gripped the Middle East on Wednesday after the United States and Iran exchanged their biggest barrage since July, with Washington striking Iran's southern co...
4th August 2026
President Donald Trump announced late Saturday that he had called off planned U.S. strikes on Iran, saying renewed negotiations had raised hopes of easing the conflict and reopening ship...
25th June 2026
At least 32 people have been killed and more than 700 injured after two powerful earthquakes — measuring 7.2 and 7.5 — struck central Venezuela seconds apart, causing widespread destruct...
25th February 2026
Thousands of Cuban security personnel have begun leaving Caracas after nearly two decades in Venezuela, as Washington ramps up efforts to dismantle the long standing alliance between the...
14th September 2026
Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk said he expected Moscow to escalate the war in "in the coming weeks", following Russian strikes that hit a Warsaw-bound train in Ukraine, just two kil...
10th September 2026
The departure from Moldova of a plane carrying Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy to Norway was delayed when authorities closed the country's airspace over a drone alert, a Moldov...