ATHENS — Greece’s government spokesman says schools in the country are set to reopen on Sept. 7.

Stelios Petsas said schools will face challenges making sure children adhere to measures such as maintaining social distance, frequently washing their hands and wearing masks where necessary.

"We will have to face again the same main challenges" he said underlining that "we must observe the personal health measures and the safety distances", Petsas said. 

Greek authorities have been alarmed by a significant increase in the number of daily coronavirus cases detected, with the numbers steadily over 200 for the past five days. Total confirmed cases now top 7,000, with 228 deaths.

Many of the new cases have been attributed to outbreaks after weddings and people ignoring social distancing and protective measures during summer vacations.

Health authorities began carrying out spot checks for the virus on ferry passengers returning to the mainland from the islands on Sunday.