ATHENS — Τhe lockdown cannot be lifted all at once as long as the numbers remain so high, Development and Investments Minister Adonis Georgiadis said to SKAI TV on Wednesday, pointing to the 2,199 new cases of Covid-19 announced by the Greece's National Public Health Organisation on Tuesday.

Asked whether an extension of the lockdown until December 14 should be considered certain, he said that it should be taken for granted that there will be no blanket or simultaneous opening of the market. He said that the government's intention is to be able to decompress the system without endangering public health, adding that decisions have not yet been made.

He explained that a big problem are seasonal stores that sell goods specifically for the Christmas holidays, such as toys or decorations, and that the government is considering every possible scenario but the decisions are difficult. He also noted that the government has been listening to the advice of the experts from the first moment of the pandemic, adding that the restrictions will not be lifted at Christmas if this is what they recommend.