In Greece, The Government Prepares For A Crisis That is Beyond its Capacity to Handle
Today, Greece awoke to the most stringent coronavirus lockdown it has seen thus far, with all travel outside the home restricted, unless you are working in essential services or making quick trips to buy food or medicine.
Greeks now require a government-issued "Certificate of Citizens' Movement" — which can be printed from the internet — to show police if you are caught outside your house. The document only allows outside travel for six reasons:
Going to the local pharmacy or visiting your doctor ...
Going to an operating store supplying basic necessities (supermarket, mini market) ...
Going to the bank ...
Moving in order to assist people in need;
Attending a service (e.g. funeral, wedding, christening) in accordance with the legal provisions in force, ...
Working out in a public place or walking your pet, individually or in groups of two, in which latter case a distance of 1.5 meters must be kept.
There is a complete ban on large gatherings. Police are enforcing the curfew with helicopters and military drones.
The top of the Greek-English version of the "Certificate of Citizens' Movement," which must be signed before you can leave your house in Athens.
The Greek government
The interior ministry is publicizing the ban with emergency messages on your phone, via the civil defense system. The incoming messages are more intrusive than texts. Each one makes a loud noise and takes over the entire screen of your device. "Stay home, stay safe," they advise.
The government is convinced that the disaster will exceed its capability to manage
Greece shut down its parks, cafes, and schools on March 11.
After a decade-long financial crisis that shrunk the country's GDP by 25% — akin to the Great Depression in the US — the local infrastructure will be badly tested by any outbreak, let alone the numbers currently seen in Spain and neighboring Italy. We have some of the lowest rates of per-capita testing outside of the United States.
The Greek government appears convinced that the disaster will exceed its capability to manage. The official numbers right now are low: Just 17 deaths and 624 cases have been declared.
But officials are acting as if the numbers are high, which suggests they're more afraid of what is coming than what has already happened so far. The government drafted 2,000 doctors and nurses to new government contracts — far in excess of the number of current patients. It's not clear how many ICU beds Athens has in total, but most people here estimate around 500. It won't be enough if the lockdown fails.