Greece recorded a total of 7,486 cases of the coronavirus on Tuesday, while 6,677 were recorded in the country yesterday, Monday.
The record for the highest number of coronavirus cases recorded in one day in Greece was broken on November 9, when 8,623 cases of Covid-19 were diagnosed.
In the past day, a total of 636,441 coronavirus tests have been administered, including both PCR and rapid tests, bringing the positivity rate in Greece down to 1.17%. This is a huge decrease from yesterday’s rate, which was 6.93%.
The average age of those who have tested positive for the virus in Greece is still 38, and the average age of those who have died with the virus is still 78, showing no change over the past several days.
A total of 88 people with the virus passed away in the country on Tuesday alone; this is five more than the 93 people who died with Covid-19 in Greece on Monday.
Just three of Tuesday’s cases were identified during routine Covid-19 testing of travelers at the country’s borders.
Currently, there are 664 patients with the coronavirus on ventilators in Greece, which is seven more than the 657 patients undergoing the invasive treatment in the country on Monday.
Vaccine mandatory for all those over 60 in Greece
Greece’s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on Tuesday that coronavirus vaccinations will be made compulsory for all over 60-year-olds across the nation.
Aiming to stem surging Covid-19 cases in Greece, Mitsotakis said that the decision “tormented me personally.”
He stressed, however, that it is his responsibility to protect the vulnerable members of society. “Lives will be saved by this decision. Vaccination saves lives,” the PM stated.
Greece’s premier added that fines will be imposed upon all citizens who do not comply with the new directive.
“Those over 60 who have not been vaccinated will have to make an appointment by January 16, otherwise a fine of 100 euros will be imposed. The fine will be issued by the Authority for Public Revenue (AADE) and this money will be collected in a special fund that will finance our hospitals,” Mitsotakis said.
He revealed that of the 580,000 people over the age of 60 in Greece who had remained unvaccinated for some time, only 60,000 of them have been vaccinated in recent months.
Mitsotakis again insisted, however, that there will be no lockdown leading to the Christmas and New Year holidays. “Our vaccination policy, at last, seems to be working. Three out of four Greeks over the age of 12 have chosen to be vaccinated,” he noted, adding that “We are doing better, but not as much as we should.”
He also conceded that the new Omicron variant will “sooner or later” appear in Greece.
2,200 coronavirus cases in Attica, 1,162 in Thessaloniki
Of the 7,486 new coronavirus cases recorded in Greece in the past 24 hours, 2,200 were located in Attica, home to the Greek capital city of Athens.
A total of 658 cases of Covid-19 were identified in central Athens on Tuesday.
In Thessaloniki, the second-largest city in Greece, 1,162 cases of the virus were identified today.
Over 900,000 cases of the coronavirus recorded in Greece
Since the beginning of the pandemic, a total of 938,903 cases of Covid-19 have been recorded in the country, including all those who have recovered from the virus.
Of the 664 patients intubated currently, 80.3% are over the age of 70 or suffer from preexisting conditions. Their average age is 64.
The majority of those who are on ventilators in Greece, or 80.12%, are unvaccinated or partially vaccinated against the coronavirus.
Additionally, a total of 3,514 patients have been discharged from ICUs around the country since the beginning of the pandemic.
The 88 new deaths recorded on Tuesday bring the total number of coronavirus-related fatalities in the country to 18,157.
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