4 years ago

Greece extends coronavirus lockdown

Image credit: Thanassis Stavrakis

Greece's coronavirus lockdown has been extended by three weeks until Monday, April 27, Greek Deputy Minister of Civil Protection and Crisis Management, Nikos Hardalias announced on Saturday.

“Difficult weeks lie ahead… If we relax our efforts, the virus will destroy us,” Hardalias said.

Greece went into lockdown and introduced its non-essential movement ban on March 23.

The Greek lockdown explained: the do's and don't's

At the daily coronavirus briefing, Health Ministry spokesperson and infectious diseases expert Professor Sotiris Tsiodras announced 60 new confirmed cases, bringing the total to 1,673.

The death toll has also risen to 68.

Some 92 patients are being treated in Intensive Care Units (ICUs), with a total of 70% suffering from underlying health conditions or they are over 70-years-old.

Ten patients have been discharged from ICUs in the last 24 hours.

The Greek government is seriously concerned that citizens will ignore travel restrictions and flock to the villages and islands ahead of Orthodox Easter, which falls on April 19.

Hardalias said there would be “zero tolerance” for those trying to bypass restrictions.

“No transit is foreseen from urban centres to villages… this is not allowed. If it is necessary to close toll booths this will be done too,” government spokesman Stelios Petsas said on Friday.

Meanwhile, 119 passengers and crew on the Eleftherios Venizelos passenger ferry docked at Piraeus who have tested positive for the coronavirus, will remain aboard the vessel over the weekend as more than 200 others settled into hotels for two weeks of quarantine.

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