It is the wise sailor who makes sure he is in port around the equinox. Northerly gales up to Beaufort Force 9 are hammering Greece at the moment, disrupting ferry schedules and depositing fresh snow in the mountainous regions. It is only 10 degrees centigrade on Symi today. Pedi bay does not look anything like the photograph above which I took a few days ago. Rolling white caps march past the entrance to the bay today and waves are breaking along the shore line. The weather is not expected to improve until Thursday.
The newest directives coming through are that anyone coming into Greece from abroad must now go into quarantine for 14 days to limit any new infections arriving in the country. You will note that the article makes specific mention of people coming in from the UK where little is being done to prevent the spread of contagion. More shops and businesses are to be closed with effect from tomorrow. At the same time supermarket trading hours have been extended by two hours in the evening and supermarkets are allowed to trade on Sundays for the next 4 weekends. The idea behind this is to reduce crowding and make it easier for shops to enforce the spacing regulations.
More help is also being arranged for the elderly, including reallocating civil servants to helping the needy rather than working directly with the general public. In the meantime the government has also succeeded in persuading the all-powerful Greek Orthodox Holy Synod to co-operate and reduce church services.
Reports are coming back that the on line tuition system is popular with the children and seems to be working. Early days yet but at least they got things rolling fairly quickly.
More tomorrow. In journalistic speak, ‘as events unfold’.
Keep well and safe everybody.
Adriana Shum 
Excellent articke, Adriana. I hope we will be allowed to see you in September.
Great article. Have been so looking forward to our first ever Symi holiday on 4th may for 3 weeks. It doesn’t look likely to happen.
How long will the quarantine last if we are able to come?
At the moment anyone arriving in Greece has to go into quarantine for 14 days. As all the amenities are closed too there would be little point in coming at that point. Let us hope that the worst is over by then.
Thanks for keeping us posted about whatever happens in Symi. Tomorrow temperature in Belgium will be up till 17 degrees. However, we willen have to enjoy it in our private garden as we are no longer allowed to use public gardens, play gardens, etc. Tomorrow, our country will probably go into a lockdown. We hope our holiday in Symi the last 10 days of July will go on. Take all good care of yourself and wash your hands, folks!
Please keep up your lovely photos. Increasing age and decreasing incomes means we will be unlikely to visit Symi again. Your Photos and steve Mcandrews music brings back wonderful memories. Hope the great people of symi weather the economic storms of Covid 19
Nothing being done in the UK to stem the virus! Please listen or the news.