Kalymnos Island in Strict Lockdown as Cases Rise Across Greece

Τhe Greek island of Kalymnos was once again put in strict lockdown on Tuesday due to a drastic rise in coronavirus cases. This news comes as Greece records a total of 2,093 new cases on Wednesday.

As Kalymnos was required to go back into strict lockdown, the rest of the nation celebrated newfound freedom, with the reopening of bars and restaurants after six months of closure on Monday.

Kalymnos coronavirus lockdown

The Civil Protection Ministry announced that Kalymnos was going back into strict lockdown on Tuesday, as cases continue to rise. The number of new cases recorded the same day that lockdown was imposed on Kalymnos were 50, amidst a population of only 16,000.

According to a press release, Dimitris Diakomichalis, the mayor of Kalymnos, has also been suffering from coronavirus since the 10th of April.

Kalymnos has been hit particularly hard by Covid-19 for some time now. The island has had a very high case load since the middle of February, with cases rising steadily since.

According to reports, a church on the island needed to be closed to the faithful in early February of 2021. This was due to a priest who allegedly refused to comply with coronavirus regulations and encouraged believers to attend church without wearing protective face masks.

The situation currently unfolding has caused Kalymnos to be put into severe lockdown, and even public transportation has been stopped for two days due to a bus driver testing positive for the virus.

Currently over 2,500 vaccinations have occurred on the island, but it is still facing distribution problems. The Astrazenaca inoculation is not available on Kalymnos at all. Reports from the island claim that those eligible for the Astrazenaca vaccine go to nearby islands Kos and Rhodes in order to have access.

The Johnson & Johnson vaccine was supposed to begin to be administered on the island on Wednesday, but technical issues have delayed its distribution by at least a few days.

The lockdown to safeguard Kalymnos from further coronavirus infections is going to last at least until the 10th of May.

Coronavirus cases rise across the country

Greece recorded 2,093 new cases of the coronavirus on Wednesday — 706 higher than cases recorded Tuesday.

Additionally, the country recorded 765 patients with Covid-19 on ventilators on Wednesday, which is 18 fewer than the 783 patients undergoing the invasive treatment in the country yesterday, Tuesday.

34,000 coronavirus tests were conducted across the country during the day.

Tragically, 96 people suffering from the coronavirus passed away in the country over the past 24-hour period, which represents 15 more individuals than those who died with the virus on Tuesday.

Over 10,000 total coronavirus deaths in Greece

Since the beginning of the pandemic, a total of 352,029 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 44 are associated with foreign travel and 865 have been linked to contact with a known case.

On Wednesday alone, 369 people with the coronavirus were admitted to hospitals in Greece.

Of the 765 patients intubated currently, 82.1% are over the age of 70 or suffer from preexisting conditions. Their average age is 67.

Additionally, a total of 2,148 patients have been discharged from ICUs around the country since the beginning of the pandemic.

The 96 new deaths recorded on Wednesday bring the total number of fatalities in the country to 10,764; 95.3% of those who have passed away with the virus were over the age of 70 or suffered from underlying health issues.

The average age of those who have tragically died with the coronavirus in Greece is 78 years.

The island of Kalymnos is to remain in strict lockdown due to high coronavirus cases until at least the 10th of May, while the rest of Greece keeps bars and restaurants open.