ATHENS — The protection of the public health was the sole aim of the restriction measures Greece assumed to contain the spread of the coronavirus and they were fully harmonised with the European Treaty for Human Rights, the principles of necessity and proportionality and in accordance with the Constitution, Deputy Civil Protection and Crises Management Minister Nikos Hardalias said on Friday, while participating in a High-Level meeting of the European Committee for Democracy and Governance, an intergovernmental forum of the Council of Europe, under the Greek chairmanship.

At the video conference "A Democratic Governance Response to COVID-19", Hardalias underlined the civil protection service's role in terms of the management of the pandemic in Greece, as Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis had made him responsible for the overall coordination of all the agencies and services involved.

In his speech, Hardalias said that the pandemic was an unprecedented situation for the entire global community as governments were forced to resort to measures that affected and continue to significantly affect the citizens' everyday life. He also pointed out the government had ensured the full access of all citizens to the healthcare system and all vital services, with a special focus on the rights of vulnerable groups.

Greece currently holds the presidency of the Council of Europe from May 15 to November 18.