ATHENS – Greeks were free during a third COVID-19 lockdown on Clean Monday to go to a park to fly kites – with geographic restrictions – but other health measures remained in place.

The day on March 15 is a national holiday marking the start of Lent ahead of Greek Orthodox Easter on May 2, but the New Democracy government, facing lockdown fatigue and anger over toughened measures, gave people a pass to go to parks for the kite flying.

But they still must get permission on their cellphones, forms from the Internet or written out by hand and can only go out for exercise or flying kites by walking or on bicycles, not by cars, motorcycles or vehicles.

They are still allowed to go on other permissible missions, such as work, going to hospitals, doctors, pharmacies and food stores, although supermarkets were closed for the whole day.

Bakeries, fishmongers’, mini-markets and farmers’ markets were available and people could go to bank ATM’s although a weekday curfew of 9 p.m. is still in effect, which runs until 5 a.m.