Greece bans public Christmas Festivities

Greece has banned public Christmas and New Year's Eve festivities and mandated mask-wearing in open spaces to help to curb the spread of the Omicron coronavirus variant, its health minister said on Thursday. The measures will be in effect from Friday morning and will also require citizens to wear masks on public transport and in supermarkets. Foreign visitors are "strongly encouraged" to take two PCR tests a few days after arrival.

Health Minister Thanos Plevris said additional measures were expected in the new year, mainly in entertainment and sports events, to avoid another lockdown.