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The decision to ban unnecessary movement was announced by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis.
He argued that few who were irresponsible would endanger those who are being responsible.
Violators will be fined € 150 while travel will be via permission in document form and sms.
Here is his statement:
Not long ago, I instructed the relevant ministers to take the necessary steps to put a ban on all unnecessary movement and movement of citizens across the country from 6am on Monday 23 March, ie tomorrow.
It is perhaps the last step of an organized democratic state. However, that must be done in time, so as not to be in vain. Time is no longer measured in days, but in hours. And bold and quick initiatives are needed.
Under the Constitution, the State must “take care of the health of the citizens” and intervene when the exercise of individual liberty goes beyond its constitutional purpose and threatens society.
And when one’s responsibility turns out to be defective, then the public interest must be safeguarded. In the name of the collective good, then, I move on to today’s decision: To protect our Health and all that we have achieved so far in this field. I have already informed the President of the Republic and the leaders of the parties of my decision.
So, from tomorrow morning, only those moving to and from work can be on the road. If directed to supply food and medicine. If they are visiting a doctor or a person in need of care. And, those who are practicing individually or in pairs or accompanying their pet. Lastly, those who are in urban areas may be allowed to move to their permanent residence.
Anyone who circulates must have a police ID or passport. The reason for their leaving ones home should be confirmed: Either by a document from their employer – whether it is an employee – or by a personal statement of responsibility – in the case of a freelancer or self-employed. It has already been ensured that, in a simple and citizen-friendly manner, the relevant attestation can be obtained online or by telephone or even handwritten.
Finally, the Greek Police, the Municipal Police, the Port Authority and the National Transparency Authority take control of the implementation of the measure. Violators will be fined € 150 for each breach.
Members of the government and parliament are apparently exempted from these restrictions. Government officials and all Health, Civil Protection, Security and Armed Forces officials. Details of all the above will be presented shortly by the relevant ministers.
My compatriots,
In Italy, unfortunately, one person is lost every two minutes. And the situation is getting worse everywhere in the world. So I have a debt to prevent our country from suffering such a test. We must not get to the point of choosing who will live and who will die. My only choice is: Life and the health of Greeks!
I thank the overwhelming majority of citizens who understood the threat and stayed home. Desolating roads and squares, we exterminate the danger. And by staying in our homes, we turn them into fortresses of life.
I will not, however, let some frivolous people undermine the security of many. Why the few irresponsible can hurt thousands of people. So, as hard times come in the battle, every backdoor in evil must close. And that goal is to limit traffic from tomorrow.
From the first moment of the health crisis, the government has honestly informed the public. Properly organized the medical structures of the country, recruiting additional nursing staff as well as supplies of expensive medical equipment. Rearranged the services of the State.
And, within days, it announced three programmes of brave measures to support workers and businesses. All this while keeping – at the same time – our borders and the borders of Europe confined. The state has therefore shown that it was and is present everywhere.
But now is the time that the individual identifies with the collective as ever: Now is the citizen’s time!
The coronavirus does not distinguish borders or nations, incomes or social groups. It threatens man, whoever he is, wherever he resides. Instead, we are all equal.
Only some are more vulnerable. Our grandparents, our parents. Our fellow citizens with chronic illnesses who too, in the midst of a crisis, should seek refuge in our National Health System. Greeks did not stop getting sick from other diseases. And we must take care of them too.
Yesterday, Professor Tsiodras talked about the responsibility of young people to the elderly with a lumpp in his throat. Let this emotional reaction of a man who lifts a huge weight, with a clear mind and unique dignity, be the cry of awakening.
Now is the time to all stand on our own fronts, rewrite a new social contract. First Commitment, Breaking the Transmission Chain of the Virus: Let each of us cease to be a transport link for the next..
My fellow citizens,
The government remains up to the task, extending its care to every corner of our country. But I’ll say it again: The biggest weapon against the invisible enemy is our personal behaviour: We should not move around unnecessarily and without cause. We must stay home. We should not offend those who fight day and night in hospitals for our own health.
Because staying home is, at its core, an extremely democratic slogan of collective responsibility. It is not a restriction. But a respect for the whole.
This will prove that our social fabric is compact and conscious. And that together we lift the burden of our homeland. We will need to mobilize all the reserves of strength and patience to overcome the crisis.
I close with the words of US President Theodore Roosevelt, who, I think, fit those who are already fighting the threat and will be called upon to do much more in the coming days: “Praise belongs to the man who is truly in the arena, with a face full of sweat and blood. But it has enthusiasm and dedication. Because he spends himself on a worthy cause. “
On behalf of the Greeks and the Greeks I thank them. And I invite you all to show our gratitude with our daily attitude. As individual desire fades in the face of collective will, the homeland passes into our hands. We are all Greece. So let’s take care of it! So that we will meet tomorrow healthier, stronger and more optimistic.
We will not be in circulation. We are all giving, however, a united, pandemic response to the pandemic.
