ATHENS — Observing restrictive safety measures should not be pursued out of fear for fines, but because it is the obvious action for the protection of human lives and everyone's fellow citizens, pointed out the Minister for Civil Protection & Crisis Management Nikos Hardalias at Monday's live briefing on the pandemic’s course in the country.

The minister then referred to the country's 18 regions that remain epidemiologically burdened: Pella, Drama, Grevena, Thessaloniki, Pieria, Florina, Imathia, Larisa, Kilkis, Xanthi, Chalkidiki, Magnesia, Karditsa, Kavala, Trikala, Evros, Serres and Rodopi. The endemiological burden across Pieria increased over the last few days, he noted.

Police have so far conducted some 189,710 inspections for observance of safety measures, registering 4,963 violations nationwide, which brought along fines totaling 1,129,850 euros in fines; 13 businesses were also fined with a 15-day closure.

Concerning the upcoming Christmas festive season, Hardalias said it will be "different compared to previous years," and he added that home visits to friends and family are not allowed while restrictive measures stand.

Asked of his thoughts on the greater decrease in the number of new infections in Attica than in Thessaloniki, Hardalias replied that, to a certain extent, citizens in northern Greece might not have observed safety restrictions as diligently as people in the Attica region; he did say, however, that the coronavirus is transmitted in the same way everywhere. Also, the rapid rise of infections in Thessaloniki might have propelled Athenians into keeping up with measures in a stricter manner, he concluded.