Greece extends coronavirus lockdown measures by a week to May 4

Municipal workers wearing protective suits disinfect Syntagma square, after the Greek government imposed a nationwide lockdown to contain the spread of the coronavirus disease (COVID-19), in Athens, Greece, March 23, 2020. REUTERS/Alkis Konstantinidis

ATHENS (Reuters) - Greece on Thursday extended its general coronavirus lockdown by a week to May 4, saying any relaxation would be staggered out over May and June.

Greek authorities imposed a blanket shutdown of public life from mid-March to stem coronavirus contagion, and the country has recorded a significantly lower outbreak of the COVID-19 respiratory disease than many other European nations.