Streets of old Athens remain empty due to virus

Gulf Today Report

Plaka, Athens’ oldest neighbourhood, has experienced a year like no other with it being unusually devoid of pedestrians and motorists before Christmas.

The streets of Plaka, laid out long before the city imported a grid system, are lined with stores behind aluminium shutters.

The pandemic that came with 2020 has kept shops closed and blocked tourists from the historic city centre that forms a semi-circle around the Acropolis.

Two men walk past a giant mural in Athens. AP

Since the outbreak of the pandemic, Greece has imposed two nationwide lockdowns. 

The restrictions have led to restaurants, coffee shops and other non-essential businesses closed.

The statistics of travellers has declined by 76.1% during the first 10 months of 2020 compared to 2019. According to the data released by the central bank, spending fell by 77%. 

A family looks at an empty street in the Plaka district. AP

Greece is expected to see a 10.5% contraction of its gross domestic product this year compared to the forecasted EU average of 7.4%, while its debt-to-GDP ratio is set to surge to a staggering 208.9%.