The Greek government on Tuesday announced another restriction aimed to prevent a surge of coronavirus cases, as the country faces a possible outbreak of the Delta variant and what appears an unwilling by a large minority in the country to receive one of four available vaccines.

Specifically, the top civil defense official said as of Thursday all food and beverage establishments will operate exclusively with seated customers.  The measure aims to stop club and beach bars overflowing with standing patrons, mostly young people, and by all accounts, a good portion of who remain without a Covid-19 vaccine.

“With the first violation (ascertained), a business will be shut down (by authorities),” Deputy Civil Defense Minister Nikos Hardalias said.

While related daily deaths in the east Mediterranean country are now in the single digits and intubated Covid-19 patients in all ICUs are under 200, the number of single-day new instances of the virus more than doubled over the past week, rising to nearly 1,800 on Tuesday.

Hardalias “sounded the alarm” on Tuesday, warning that people without a vaccination now risk contracting the Delta variant, which is considered a more dangerous strain of the coronavirus.

He also said new cases of Covid-19 are affecting younger age groups, with the average age now in Greece being 27.

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