Coronavirus in Society: The Geography of Social Distancing Measures in Greece

The health crisis (COVID-19) is a threat not only to the physical integrity of the population but to mental health and social cohesion. The normality of greek life has now changed and the new, different reality is currently expanding with an indeterminate evolution and unknown effects on multiple levels. In this new context in which society is deregulated, the questions raised concern deeper concerns at the individual and collective level of the Greek and international scientific community, while at the same time highlighting the need for progress and social cohesion on a basis of individual responsibility and collective consciousness. A key question is an extent to which Greeks felt socially isolated during the period of restrictive measures to tackle the pandemic. In this survey (field survey with 4,238 questionnaires), an initial assessment of the changes that have occurred in daily life is carried out, focusing on social relationships, lifestyle/habits, and general well-being. By broadening the human geography of isolation on the spatial scale of the Regional Unit, it is examined whether spatial patterns, emerging from confinement, social isolation, or a sense of security within the home, are detected within the country.