<p>ATHENS, Greece — Worshippers lined up at churches across Greece on Orthodox Good Friday as the government kept pandemic restrictions in place through the Easter holiday while preparing to restart services for tourists. </p>
<p>Seating restrictions were put on church services and priests had instructions to get tested daily for COVID-19, while police maintained checkpoints along highways to enforce a domestic travel ban.</p>
<p>Many restrictions in effect since early November will be scrapped, however, starting Monday, when restaurants and cafes will be allowed to serve customers outdoors. </p>
<p>Tourism-related businesses and services are set to start operating again on May 15.</p>
<p>In the northern city of Thessaloniki, churchgoer Yiannis Gaitanidis said he was happy to attend a Good Friday service since Greece’s churches were closed to the public last Easter, </p>
<p>“Church attendants found us seats so that we could observe social distancing,” Gaitanidis said. “Every religious icon is disinfected each time a person approaches it.”</p>
<p>Orthodox churches use different reference dates to calculate when Easter occurs, which can be up to four weeks later than the holiday marked by other branches of Christianity.</p>
<p>Easter processions set for late Friday in Greece will have limited attendance and mostly take place on church grounds, while Saturday night services will start earlier due to curfew restrictions. </p>
