Greece recorded a total of 1,626 cases of the coronavirus on Sunday, 886 fewer than the 2,512 cases diagnosed in the country on Saturday.
A total of 18,823 coronavirus tests were conducted across the country during the day, with the positivity rate skyrocketing to 8.9% in Greece. Yesterday, Saturday, the positivity rate was 4.99%.
The number of patients with Covid-19 who are currently intubated in Greece reached 564 on Sunday, which represents 18 more than those recorded on Saturday.
The influx of patients who are currently intubated, which involves placing a tube down a person’s throat to assist in breathing, has put immense strain on the country’s hospitals.
Tragically, 53 people with the coronavirus passed away in the country over the past 24-hour period, which is one more than those who died with the virus on Saturday.
834 cases of Covid-19 diagnosed Attica alone; 145 in Thessaloniki
Of the 1,626 coronavirus cases recorded in Greece in the past 24 hours, 834 were located in Attica, home to the city of Athens.
Instances of the virus were particularly high in the center of the city itself, where 233 cases of Covid-19 were identified Sunday.
In Piraeus, the port of Athens, 158 new cases of the virus were diagnosed on Sunday.
Tests showed that in Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, a total of 145 cases of Covid-19 were diagnosed in the last 24 hours.
AstraZeneca coronavirus vaccine will be distributed normally in Greece
Greece’s National Vaccination Committee announced that AstraZeneca’s Covid-19 vaccine should be distributed as planned in the country on Sunday, despite concerns about potential links to blood clots.
Ireland, Iceland, Norway, and Denmark have already moved to take the AstraZeneca vaccine off the market due to a suspected risk of blood clots in those who received the shot.
The European Medicines Agency, the EU’s major drug regulator, remains cautious about halting distribution of the shot at a time when vaccinations are lagging in the EU.
The EMA is rigorously investigating any potential links between the inoculation and blood clots, but they have stressed that blood clots are common and the recorded events may have nothing to do with the vaccine.
The inoculation, produced by Oxford University and the UK/Sweden-based AstraZeneca pharmaceuticals firm, is being used widely throughout Europe, including Greece, but has not been cleared for emergency authorization in the United States yet.
The AstraZeneca vaccine has been approved for use in those under 64 in Greece.
Total 221,147 coronavirus cases in Greece since the start of the pandemic
Since the beginning of the pandemic, a total of 221,147 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 58 are associated with foreign travel and 2,263 have been linked to contact with a known case.
Of the 564 patients intubated currently, 83.2% are over the age of 70 or suffer from preexisting conditions. Their average age is 68.
On Sunday alone, 424 people with the coronavirus were admitted to hospitals in Greece.
Additionally, a total of 1,489 patients have been discharged from ICUs around the country since the beginning of the pandemic.
The 53 new deaths recorded on Sunday bring the total number of fatalities in the country to 7,091, and 95.8% 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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