Greek pupils back in classrooms after months away

Students in Greece wore face masks and showed documents stating they had tested negative in a COVID-19 self-test as they returned to classes Monday, following months of distance learning.

Primary schools and junior high schools reopened their doors Monday.

Students in the final three grades of high school have already returned to classes.

School administrators in the southern Athens suburb of Glyfada monitored the temperatures of students as they entered the building, a measure that was implemented at the start of the academic year.

Mayor Giorgos Papanicolaou of Glyfada said cleaning staff's shifts were also increased.

Greece has started easing coronavirus-related restrictions with a view to opening the vital tourism industry in the summer, despite stubbornly high infection rates and hospitalizations that have strained its health system.

The country of 11 million people has seen more than 11,029 deaths and 362,004 confirmed cases since the start of the pandemic, according to the latest figures released Sunday.

Cafes, restaurants and bars, which had been shut to all but takeout and delivery services when lockdown-type measures were imposed in early November, reopened for outdoor seated service only last week.