Masks, tests, batches: Locked-down Greece swears in Cabinet

Greece’s new Cabinet is being sworn in at three separate ceremonies to comply with national lockdown restrictions

ATHENS, Greece — Greece’s new Cabinet is being sworn in Tuesday at three separate ceremonies to comply with national lockdown restrictions.

Following a Cabinet reshuffle Monday by conservative Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, ministers were sworn in in groups of six, all wearing masks, and after receiving rapid tests for COVID-19.

A bottle of hand sanitizer was placed on a desk where ministers signed their oaths or affirmations.

A current two-month lockdown officially ends Thursday, but government officials say many restrictions will be extended to allow for a successful rollout of the coronavirus vaccine. The program started just before the new year and is being significantly ramped up this week.

Lockdown restrictions include a nightly curfew and a government-imposed stay-at-home order. Household members can only leave their homes using an itemized permission system available on mobile phones.