Covid-19 Figures in Greece Appear to Stabilize on Thursday

Greece’s epidemiological situation seems to be on the path toward stabilization, as the country recorded 2,759 new cases of Covid-19 on Thursday.

The figure marks 256 fewer instances of the virus than the 3,015 cases recorded on Wednesday.

Additionally, the country recorded 822 patients with Covid-19 on ventilators Thursday, which is nine fewer than the 831 patients undergoing the invasive treatment in the country yesterday, Wednesday.

A total of 63,048 coronavirus tests were conducted across the country during the day, bringing the positivity rate to 4.3% in Greece, down from 4.91% yesterday.

Tragically, 75 people suffering from the coronavirus passed away in the country over the past 24-hour period, which represents 11 fewer than those who died with the virus on Wednesday.

1,305 cases of Covid-19 diagnosed in Attica alone; 374 in Thessaloniki

Of the 2,759 new coronavirus cases recorded in Greece in the past 24 hours, 1,305 were located in Attica, home to the Greek capital city of Athens.

Instances of the virus were particularly high in the center of the city itself, where 397 cases of Covid-19 were identified Thursday.

Tests showed that in Thessaloniki, Greece’s second-largest city, a total of 374 cases of Covid-19 had been diagnosed in the last 24 hours.

Greece “green” on Covid-19 map with weekly positivity rate under 4%

Greece appears to be performing well in terms of testing and positivity rates compared to the rest of Europe, according to the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control’s (ECDC) weekly Covid-19 map.

As shown in the maps, which are released each Thursday and outline the general epidemiological situation across Europe, Greece is performing in the top category in terms of testing and positivity rates.

Despite the country’s increased coronavirus numbers, Greece is one of the few “green” countries on the ECDC’s Covid-19 map, indicating a weekly positivity rate of under 4%.

Only a small number of countries, including Cyprus, Norway, Denmark, Austria, Ireland, and Iceland are completely “green.” Areas of Spain and Italy are also green.

The rest of Europe is “orange,” indicating that they had a weekly positivity rate over 4%.

 Greece has high testing rate for the coronavirus

Greece’s testing rates have also been above average in comparison with the country’s European counterparts.

Over 5,000 Covid-19 tests per 100,000 residents were conducted in the country in the past week, making Greece one of the few countries with the “dark green” distinction, along with Cyprus.

The majority of Europe is a lighter green, a designation that indicates a testing rate of 1,000 to 2,499 per 100,000 people in the last week.

Restaurants, cafes to open in Greece Monday, May 3

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis made an announcement on Wednesday outlining Greece’s roadmap out of lockdown.

According to current information, Greece will be almost entirely out of lockdown — which has been ongoing since last November — by mid-May.

The first step in getting Greece back to normal is the opening of cafes and restaurants to outdoor dining, which is to occur on Monday, May 3. The curfew will also be loosened to restrict travel only between 11:00 PM and 5:00 AM.

There will be multiple safeguards in place for dining, including mandatory coronavirus self-testing for employees, a specific distance between tables, and all other hygiene measures.

Over 300,000 total cases of Covid-19 identified in the country

Since the beginning of the pandemic, a total of 326,395 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 55 are associated with foreign travel and 2,872 have been linked to contact with a known case.

Of the 822 patients intubated currently, 85.8% are over the age of 70 or suffer from preexisting conditions. Their average age is 68.

On Thursday alone, 468 people with the coronavirus were admitted to hospitals in Greece.

Additionally, a total of 1,986 patients have been discharged from ICUs around the country since the beginning of the pandemic.

The 75 new deaths recorded on Thursday bring the total number of fatalities in the country to 9,788; 95.5% of those who have passed away with the virus were over the age of 70 or suffered from underlying health issues.