Daily cases of Covid-19 have continued on an upward trend in Greece, as the country recorded 2,703 instances of the virus on Wednesday, the highest number of cases diagnosed so far in 2021.
The previous record for daily cases was broken just one day before, on Tuesday, when 2,353 instances of Covid-19 were identified in the country.
Wednesday’s cases number 350 more than those diagnosed on Tuesday.
A total of 54,553 tests for Covid-19 were conducted during the past 24 hours, and the positivity rate in the country is now a troubling 4.95%.
Health officials are alarmed at not only the increasing rate of transmission in Greece, but also the number of people with the virus who require intubation, which came to 431 on Wednesday — nine more than the 422 recorded on Tuesday.
This marks the highest amount of intubated patients in the country since early January.
The influx of patients undergoing the intensive treatment, which involves placing a tube down a person’s throat to assist in breathing, has put immense pressure on the country’s hospitals and has left very few hospital beds available for others.
Tragically, 40 people with the coronavirus passed away in the country over the past 24-hour period, which is 17 more than those who died with the virus on Tuesday.
New anti-virus measures announced — most movement restricted to 2 km radius
In an address to the public on Wednesday, Deputy Minister for Civil Protection Nikos Chardalias announced a series of new coronavirus measures.
These new restrictions further limit the movement of Greeks as the country tries to suppress a rapidly increasing transmission rate amongst its citizens.
Since the beginning of the lockdown in November, Greeks have had to send an SMS to a toll-free number declaring their purpose for leaving the home.
The reasons for movement include exercise, shopping for essential items, going to the bank, helping someone in need, and going to the doctor or pharmacy.
From now on, in every region of the country, regardless of transmission risk, citizens leaving the home for essential purchases and bank transactions will be limited to establishments in their neighborhood within a 2-kilometer radius.
Additionally, those who go out for exercise must only do so on foot or on a bicycle. Therefore, those who drive to a certain area for exercise will be in violation of the new restrictions.
1,269 cases of Covid-19 diagnosed in Attica alone; 314 in Thessaloniki
Of the 2,702 coronavirus cases recorded in Greece in the past 24 hours, 1,269 were located in Attica alone, home to the city of Athens.
Instances of the virus were particularly high in the center of the city itself, where 327 cases of Covid-19 were identified.
Tests showed that in Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, a total of 314 cases of Covid-19 were diagnosed in the last 24 hours.
Due to the progression of the virus in Greece, the entire country is now considered “red” by health officials, indicating an increased coronavirus risk.
Attica, however, is “dark red,” signaling the severity of the epidemiological situation in the region.
Achaea, Arcadia, Thessaloniki, Larisa, Lefkada, Fthiotida, Argolida, Korinthia, Thesprotia, Arta, Samos, Boeotia, Chios, Aitoloakarnania, Rhodes, Heraklion, and Evia are also considered dark red.
Total 197,279 coronavirus cases in Greece since the start of the pandemic
Since the beginning of the pandemic, a total of 197,279 cases of Covid-19 have been recorded in the country, including all those who have recovered from the virus.
Of the cases diagnosed in Greece in the past seven days, just 63 are associated with foreign travel and 2,419 have been linked to contact with a known case.
Of the 431 patients intubated currently, 84.9% are over the age of 70 or suffer from preexisting conditions. Their average age is 68.
Additionally, a total of 1,376 patients have been discharged from ICUs around the country since the beginning of the pandemic.
The 40 new deaths recorded on Wednesday bring the total number of fatalities in the country to 6,597, and 95.7% of those who have passed away with the virus were over the age of 70 or suffered from underlying health issues.
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