Greece aims to reopen restaurants in May after COVID-19 closure: State minister
April 21, 2021, 9:22 am

Greece aims to reopen restaurants in May after COVID-19 closure: State minister

A woman wearing a face mask to prevent the spread of COVID-19 stands at a cafe in central Athens. (AP)

Greece aims to reopen restaurants early next month, state minister George Gerapetritis said on Wednesday, as the country is desperate for more economic sectors to resume operations ahead of its vital summer tourist season.

Greece, which coped relatively well during the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic, was forced to tighten restrictions late last year to combat a surge in cases, with hospitals around Athens and the northern city of Thessaloniki struggling to cope.

More than half of all new cases each day are reported in that region.

“Our intention is to have a coordinated opening of the restaurants after Easter,” the minister told state television ERT, adding that customers would be allowed to dine outdoors.

Greek Orthodox Easter falls on May 2.

The government began a massive distribution of free home testing kits this month to reopen senior high schools and some services as it is keen to get the situation sufficiently under control before the start of the tourist season on May 14.

Health authorities on Tuesday reported 3,789 daily cases of COVID-19 and 87 deaths. Total cases and deaths have reached 320,629 and 9,627 respectively.

source: Reuters

Image source: AP

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, has sponsored the BuildHer CityHack 2025 Hackathon, a two-day event spearheaded by the College of Engineering and Technology at the Royal University for Women (RUW).
Aimed at secondary school students, the event brought together a distinguished group of academic professionals and technology experts to mentor and inspire young participants.
More than 100 high school students from across the Kingdom of Bahrain took part in the hackathon, which featured an intensive programme of training workshops and hands-on sessions. These activities were tailored to enhance participants’ critical thinking, collaborative problem-solving, and team-building capabilities, while also encouraging the development of practical and sustainable solutions to contemporary challenges using modern technological tools.
BENEFIT’s Chief Executive Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi, commented: “Our support for this educational hackathon reflects our long-term strategic vision to nurture the talents of emerging national youth and empower the next generation of accomplished female leaders in technology. By fostering creativity and innovation, we aim to contribute meaningfully to Bahrain’s comprehensive development goals and align with the aspirations outlined in the Kingdom’s Vision 2030—an ambition in which BENEFIT plays a central role.”
Professor Riyadh Yousif Hamzah, President of the Royal University for Women, commented: “This initiative reflects our commitment to advancing women in STEM fields. We're cultivating a generation of creative, solution-driven female leaders who will drive national development. Our partnership with BENEFIT exemplifies the powerful synergy between academia and private sector in supporting educational innovation.”
Hanan Abdulla Hasan, Senior Manager, PR & Communication at BENEFIT, said: “We are honoured to collaborate with RUW in supporting this remarkable technology-focused event. It highlights our commitment to social responsibility, and our ongoing efforts to enhance the digital and innovation capabilities of young Bahraini women and foster their ability to harness technological tools in the service of a smarter, more sustainable future.”
For his part, Dr. Humam ElAgha, Acting Dean of the College of Engineering and Technology at the University, said: “BuildHer CityHack 2025 embodies our hands-on approach to education. By tackling real-world problems through creative thinking and sustainable solutions, we're preparing women to thrive in the knowledge economy – a cornerstone of the University's vision.”