COVID-19 Alert | 05.11.2020

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Stefanos Charaktiniotis

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Antonis Giannakodimos

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Click here for the GR version – Πατήστε εδώ για το ελληνικό κείμενο

1. General

Quarantine guidelines

Lockdown measures to be applied as from Saturday 07.11.2020, at 6:00 am and until 30 November 2020: Citizens will not be allowed to leave their home-quarantine unless such leave regards visits to their work (provided that they hold a respective declaration filled in by their employer), visit to pharmacies, supermarkets and other food stores, to provide emergency assistance to others, to attend ceremonies, visits to hospitals, banks, doctors, public services if e-service is not available, visits to the workplace of a first degree relative or spouse within the municipality of residence, for physical exercise, for walking a pet, feeding of stray animals within the municipality of residence. Citizens are expected to fill in a specific declaration as well as use a free-of charge SMS system to a specific 5-digit number (13033), evidencing the reason of exiting their house. The respective declarations filled in by the citizens and their employees are available in https://forma.gov.gr/. The use of protective mask will be obligatory for all citizens, in all public spaces and in all businesses, irrespective if indoors or outdoors.

Travel restrictions

  • Travelers to Greece must have been diagnosed negative to COVID-19 following laboratory test carried out within 48 hours prior to the arrival to Greece, hold a certification of the above diagnosis and fill in the online form PLF (Passenger Locator Form), available at the portal https://travel.gov.gr with their contact details in Greece before their arrival in Greece. Especially, for land borders, travelers entering Greece must have been tested negative to COVID-19 following laboratory test carried out within 72 hours prior to the arrival to Greece.
  • Citizens may move within the boundaries of their Prefecture with the exception of movement to permanent residence.

Operating Businesses

  • Supermarkets and other grocery stores, pharmacies, gas stations, banks, optical stores and courier services, telecommunication services providers and delivery/ take-away services will remain open.
  • All businesses that operate also via e-commerce may continue to do so normally.

Closed Businesses

All other services and shops (such as retail shops, cafes, bars, cinemas, restaurants with the exception of take away and delivery services) will remain closed.

Educational institutions

Unlike the measures that have been adopted during the previous lockdown in March-April 2020, this time the Government has decided to keep the kindergartens, the primary schools and the special education schools of all grades open. On the contrary, secondary schools and high schools will be kept close and will operate remotely through online lessons.

2. Employment

  • Temporary suspension of employment con- tracts by employers on lockdown by order of the authorities or severely impacted. According to the Government’s update, the severly impacted enterprises are those described in the expanded Business Activity Codes (KAD) list which was issued in April.
  • Employees whose employment contracts have been suspended as above are entitled to a special state benefit of EUR 800 for November on a prorated basis. Such benefit will be paid in December on top of the Christmas allowance, which will also be paid in December.
  • Employees on suspension as above are entitled to full social security coverage, borne by the State.
  • Unemployment benefits that expired in September, October, November and December will be extended for two (2) months.
  • Non-subsidized “long-term unemployed” individuals, who obtained such status after 1st of March 2020, shall receive a lump-sum benefit of EUR 400.

3. Tax & social security

Extension of VAT payment due in November

  • For enterprises whose operation is suspended by virtue of State decision, the payment of VAT amounts due in November is extended until 30.04.2021.
  • Payment can be effected either in twelve (12) interest-free instalments or twenty-four (24) instalments at 2,5% interest rate, starting from May 2021 onwards.

Extension of payment of tax & social security liabilities instalments based on settlement schemes due in November

  • Payment of instalments of tax and social security liabilities based on settlement schemes due in November is extended until the end of the settlement scheme. This measure concerns enterprises whose operation is suspended by virtue of State decision.
  • For all affected enterprises based on the Business Activity Codes (KAD) list, the recently voted settlement scheme which covers previous months’ liabilities shall apply.
  • The above extension shall also apply for instalments of settled tax liabilities payable in November of employees whose employment contract is under suspension. These will be paid in respective instalments at the end of the settlement scheme.

4. Finance

  • Continuance of suspension of the repayment of loan instalments for loans of affected businesses until the end of the year in cooperation with the Hellenic Bank Association.
  • Enterprises whose operation was suspended by virtue of State decision or are affected shall be entitled to participate in the Repayable Advances Scheme 4 regardless of their downturn and they shall receive Euro 2,000 at minimum.
    The scheme, which is open to companies active in all sectors and applies to the whole territory of Greece, is targeted at companies having temporary financial difficulties due to the COVID-19 outbreak amounts to an estimated €1 billion.
  • A new plan is expected with respect to the ex- tension of the payment of cheques.

5. Real Estate

Reduction of rents by 40%

  • Legal entities and individuals affected by COVID-19, i.e. entities whose operation is suspended and employees, whose employment contract is suspended, are entitled to pay 60% of the rent of November for their premises and main residence respectively. The same applies for the rent of the student accommodation of their children.
  • For landlords who will receive a reduced rent as per the aforementioned, the one half (1/2) of their damage will not be offset against their tax obligations, but will be credited directly into their bank accounts.

Suspension of operation of Land Registries and Cadastral Offices.

6. Dispute Resolution

The government announced the suspension of operation of courts with the exception of emergency cases.