ATHENS – Greek police squads keep sweeping the country's capital and surrounding areas in the prefecture for COVID-19 health protocol compliance checks, doing 41,829 on Sept. 18 alone.

That came ahead of tighter restrictions set to go into force on Sept. 21 after so many people refused to wear masks or stay the safe social distance of at least 1.5 meters (4.92) feet apart that the number of cases keeps soaring.

Officers recorded 194 instances of individuals not wearing face masks or not observing physical distancing in public places, said Kathimerini, adding that a business a business in Attica found to have defied a midnight curfew was hit with a 10,000-euro fine ($11,839.68) and shut down for three days.

The police are stepping up checks in Athens as well as northern Greece, home to the country's second-largest city of Thessaloninki, and also on islands were cases spiked after tourists were allowed to enter starting in July.

Officers recorded 196 instances of individuals not wearing face masks or not observing physical distancing in public places, said Kathimerini, but it wasn't said if they were fined 150 euros ($177.64) as the law allows.

Defiance of health measures as well as opening the border to tourists beginning in July has seen cases soaring, now often passing 300 daily, with worries it could even get as high as 1,000 with flu season approaching and bring an even tighter lockdown.