Health Minister Thanos Plevris announced that mandatory mask-wearing in most areas will be suspended starting from June 1 and until September 15.

Specifically, masks will no longer be obligatory in all transport with numbered seats (airplanes, trains, KTEL intercity buses) and all retail stores.

However, masks will continue to be obligatory in healthcare facilities (including hospitals, primary healthcare centers, and facilities that care for the elderly) as well as urban transport links (buses, metro, trolleys and others).

The government still advises and recommends people continue wearing masks, especially in crowded areas.

The scientific committee advising the government on the course of the pandemic is set to meet next week to decide whether measures for schools and ships will also be altered.

Health authorities reported 4,626 Covid-19 cases on Wednesday and 19 related deaths, bringing the country’s total number of infections since the first case was detected two years ago to 3,406,553 million and total deaths to 29,619.

This article was previously published at ekathimerini.com