Athens and the wider area of Attica, where half of the country’s population lives, will go into a stricter lockdown, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced in a televised address to the nation on Tuesday night. The new rules, based on new coronavirus data and consultations with health experts, will run from Thursday to 28 February. According to the prime minister, the SARS-CoV-1 mutations, which are dispersed at high rates, and the rise in admissions at the hospitals, are generating problems for public health and forcing the government to impose stricter rules. With the exception of special education, students from all school levels will return to distance learning and all retail stores will close once again. The shutdown of stores led the Athens Trade Association to ask for bold measures to save businesses from permanent closure.