Sotiris Tsiodras: “We cannot be trapped forever”

Health Ministry spokesperson and infectious diseases expert, Professor Sotiris Tsiodras on Saturday announced 16 new coronavirus cases, while the death toll remains unchanged.

“We cannot be trapped forever. The gradual lifting of the measures is planned with coordinated, gradual and controlled efforts, with special criteria and rules, but also with the participation of all of us,” Tsiodras stressed.

The total Covid-19 infections in Greece stands at 2,506.

Deaths total 130 since the start of the outbreak, while 47 patients are being treated in Intensive Care Units.

A total of 63,087 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in Greece.

“The effort is not yet over. We might be ready to pass onto the next phase but that does not mean that we can forget which stage of the effort we are currently at,” Deputy Civil Protection and Crisis Management Minister, Nikos Hardalias stated at the daily press briefing.

Hardalis added that citizens will be officially informed about the gradual easing of the measures at the start of next week, stressing that the government was acting according to a plan, after studying all the available facts.

The gradual return, he emphasised, with not be to the previous state but to a “new normality”, while warning that the process will not be at all easy. “We will have cases and admissions to hospital and, unfortunately, deaths. There will be sites of resurgence and we must continue to observe hygiene measures for a very long time,” he said, adding that any flouting of the hygiene measures “cannot be accepted by anyone.”