ENGLISH EDITION

With cancellations on its platform skyrocketing and revenues plummeting, the company is looking forward to a strong recovery next year but there are doubts as to whether it will be in a position to take advantage of a rebounding global economy. As seen in the Greek market, many homeowners are taking their assets from the platform. Indicative of this trend is data from Spitogatos.gr showing a sharp rise in properties for rent in the last 30 days (the increase reaches 44 percent, depending on the area), with most of them furnished or newly renovated.

Hatzidakis noted that the bill that tabled on Saturday, along with a spatial planning bill that will follow, will lay firm foundations for bringing investments and promoting growth.

The deputy minister said that the Greek people will be officially informed about the gradual easing of the measures at the start of next week, stressing that the government was acting according to a plan, after studying all the available facts.

On the 800-euro special-purpose benefit for workers suspended from their jobs, Vroutsis said that 686,000 have already been paid and a second wave of 105,875 people will be paid next Tuesday.

He also explained that the criteria in order for businesses to qualify for the second round of the "returnable advance" in May will be a significant drop in their April turnover.

Since the beginning of the year, the general index has fallen by 35 percent while the bank index has given up 65 percent. The situation with European and American banks is similar. Losses booked by domestic banks are almost double as the pan-European index of banks has declined by 35 percent while US bank shares have fallen by 28 percent.

According to the Minister of Development, Adonis Georgiadis, Greece may not have a record tourism season this year but has the opportunity to gain a significant share of the market this year and next, from a smaller tourism market due to its good performance in managing the pandemic.

Greece with 113 deaths, is in the 46th place worldwide in the number of victims from the 39th it was last week. Greece records roughly 11 deaths per one million population, which ranks it 58th worldwide and 21st in EU. The global average is 21 deaths per million, so Greece is under the average rate.

"Until then, let us not set at risk all those that made us an example throughout the world. We respect the experts and we comply by the rules" he said.

"The gradual lifting of the measures will be conditional so that we do not risk a second wave of coronavirus spread after all this trouble" said Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias.