What To Expect For The Next Three Weeks

Lots of changes to restrictions

Hydra is making things ready for the 15 May 2021 reopening, despite the Pascha restrictions.

TRAVEL BAN (23 April - 10 May)

On Hydra, most full-time residents and business owners are back on the island, as well as a few 2nd homeowners who arrived just in time to beat the movement ban that started yesterday and won't end until 10 May!

The Greek Government are determined to keep any flare-up of the CoVd crisis to a minimum over the Pascha week. Roadblocks are in operation to prevent people (Greeks or visitors) from circumnavigating the ban, especially between Athens and the islands, with police waiting to catch anyone willing to risk trying to reach Hydra via Metochi. Hefty fines apply. The only permitted reasons to travel to or from Hydra until 10 May are essential trips to your normal workplace (with a digital permit) or emergency health reasons (including trips to medical centres for vaccination appointments at Kranidi or Galataas). 2nd homeowners are not permitted to return to Hydra from now until this emergency movement ban for Pascha is lifted. See press release here: https://www.kathimerini.gr/society/561340756/epicheirisi-pascha-stin-poli-aystiroi-elegchoi-sta-diodia-drones-kai-prostima/

Confusingly, all the transport routes (Hellenic, Freedom & Alpha Lines) will continue operating but with emergency restrictions. Just because they are running, it doesn't mean that pleasure trips are allowed. The routes are still open in case of emergencies only. It doesn't matter what your nationality, whether your country is on the 'don't need to self-isolate for 7-days' list, or you have a folder bursting with documents to prove you own a house on Hydra. Until 10 May, you cannot travel on to Hydra.

PASCHA ARRANGEMENTS

Hydra's Orthodox Church has published the revised timetable for the Pascha services. Because of limits on participants allowed to attend, the Cathedral of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary will be broadcasting the services 'live' on the church's Youtube channel. Everyone is encouraged to subscribe here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCrPtMmUh3xr-wPT59WlD8Xg to participate in the services from home at the followiing (Greek) times:

Holy Thursday, 29.04.2021 17:30 Sequence of the Holy Passions

Good Friday, 30.04.2021 07:30 Sequence of M Hours and Vespers of Apostasy 18:00 Sequence of the Epitaph of Lamentation

Holy Saturday, 01.05.2021 07:30 Vespers and Divine Liturgy of St. Basil 20:00 Sequence of the Resurrection

Easter Sunday, 02.05.2021 11:00 Vespers of Love 

If you intend to join online for this most beautiful time in the Orthodox calendar, don't forget to light your brown candle on Friday, and a white one for after the Resurrection on Saturday to mark the sign of the cross over your door.

On Hydra, anyone attending in person will have to double mask and maintain the required distance from each other.

The limited spacing inside the churches will mean that as much of the services as possible will held outside, including the Epitaph crucession, but still with minimal attendance. The Saturday midnight resurrection has been brought forward to 9 pm to comply with the Pascha week curfew of 10 pm. As the restaurants will be closed, families will have their traditional Margaritza soup and crack red-dyed eggs together at home.

LOCAL PASCHA SUNDAY GATHERINGS

As restaurants are not permitted to open, a family can gather with another family for indoor, at-home gatherings for a maximum of 9 people. However, larger families (or two), up to 12 people, can gather in outside spaces. To quote the prime minister, you can meet in your home garden, on the beach, in a park or countryside. And home self-diagnostic tests should be carried out beforehand for everyone attending. Tests are available from both the Gavalas and Rafalias pharmacies.

CURFEW

From now until 3 May, the curfew is 10 pm. From 3 May, the curfew will be 11 pm.

SOFT OPENING OF CAFES, RESTAURANTS & BARS  FOR LOCALS

All types of catering can reopen on Easter Monday, 3 May. Restrictions will apply. But at last, it will be possible for locals to meet, sit outside with friends for those much-missed coffee catchups, have something to eat, and a celebratory drink!

Some of the cafes have already been offering takeaway refreshments and food throughout the long winter. But I can't wait to be able to sit down at the Isalos for my elevenses coffee without having to take it away! 

Ifigenia has already announced that she is open now at Kai Kremmidi from 12:30 - 20:30 each day for takeaways. She has festively decorated the restaurant (in true Ifigenia style) to lift everyone's spirits, and she will be providing Pascha hampers and picnics as well as her usual delicious menu to go.

But it is not likely that many outlets will fully open on the 3rd. Given the minimal number of potential customers locally on the island, most of whom are being very careful not to spend what little money they have, it just won't be worth fully opening for some places. For example, I already know that the Pirate Bar will be open for coffee and drinks but not for food. Though perhaps Fiona could make some of her delicious carrot cake? Angelos (of Turquoise) and I have begged and twisted Wendy's arm enough to ensure at least one batch of Apple Crumble as an 'occasion'. We have dibs on the first two pieces!

Quite aside from there not being enough locals to go round all the restaurants, etc., many still haven't been able to organise staff anyway. Travel has been challenging but now that appointments for vaccinations are underway, there's an additional dilemma deciding whether to stay where they are and have the jabs before they come, or get here, then worry about getting vaccinated if possible on the island. And the protocols for whether it is mandatory for those in catering is still a little unclear.

And of course, many suppliers can no longer get to the island or even deliver supplies during the traditional holiday period, so reopening on Easter Monday, 3 May, is not likely to be universal on Hydra.

VACCINATIONS

The 2nd doses for the 60+ group are done. Most of the 400 or so in this group now have their vaccination completion certificates. 

Hydra's residents with underlying medical conditions started their vaccinations just after the 60+ group, with quite a few opting to go to Galatas or Kranidi rather than wait for the 2nd group session on Hydra. Many of the ex-pats and temporary residents who were struggling to obtain AMKA's have been sorted. A few who registered very late will have to wait about three months until the system churns out their numbers.

The 1st dose for the much larger 18-59 Hydra group of about 860 people is well underway, but most likely, the under 28-year-olds won't get their appointments until after Pascha. So with four weeks between the 1st and 2nd dose on Hydra, we won't be fully vaccinated until the beginning of June. Contrary to Government quotes in the press, some people on the islands have not chosen to have it because the vaccination is not mandatory. The reality on Hydra will be approximately 65% of the population rather than the ambiguous 'all' mentioned in the papers.

BUILDING WORKS AND SHOPS OPEN

Taking advantage of the dry Spring and nobody around to disturb, the Municipality has forged ahead with repairs to the harbours, water and sewage systems. Shopfronts and signs are being spruced up and repaired. Repainting the steps is a tradition that I miss on Hydra, so I applauded Leonides when I saw him outlining the steps with white at Psinesai the other day. The shops have been open for a couple of weeks now. Even though there haven't been many customers, already shops like Turquoise, Ydra Premier and Adonis have got new fashion on the rails to tempt you with this summer.