Filenews 29 May 2021 - byAngelos Nikolaou
From 1 June, children's playgrounds are allowed to operate indoors and outdoors, in violation of the protocol applicable to dining areas, without holding events (e.g. children's birthday parties, etc.).
On the basis of the decisions of the Council of Ministers of 27 May 2021 in the context of the strategy to restart the economy and social activities, from 16 June and on the basis of a health protocol, children's parties may be thrown in playgrounds, amusement parks and theme parks. A prerequisite for indoors is the presentation of SafePass by all persons 12 years of age and older. On the same day, from 17 June 2021, summer schools and children's camps are allowed.
The Government's decision to ban children's parties from theme parks and playgrounds until 16 June has provoked strong dissatisfaction with the Association of Theme Parks and Recreation Parks. Several of the members of the Association operate exclusively with children's party events and this measure is disastrous and unsustainable for them.
The Association argues that the new measures lack logic and are unacceptable. In a letter to the Ministry of Health they raise a number of issues. They wonder how children's playgrounds and theme parks can be allowed to operate where children's contact with toys is unavoidable, and not even restricted to hold events or children's parties, where the majority of children at each party are from the same class. Furthermore, they wonder how it is possible to allow the operation of external public parks and playgrounds where no protocol can be observed due to non-supervision and to be crowded by children of different age groups and schools. It is also reasonable to wonder how baptisms can be allowed even indoors, which are almost identical to a children's party where the presence of children is high, while still asking how 250 people are allowed to have a cocktail party outdoors.
The Association requires that the same measures apply immediately to its members as is the case with weddings and baptisms.
In communication with our Ministry of Health it was reported that the Government's decision has to do with the fact that schools remain open until 16 June. It was highlighted that children's parties include the child's friends and relatives. Therefore, people belonging to different cluster are gathered at the parties and in the event of a case, there is a risk of dispersal in other schools, even from a different province.
