Greece recorded a new daily peak of 1,259 confirmed coronavirus infections on Tuesday.
Infectious diseases expert Sotiris Tsiodras called on citizens to avoid mass gatherings and wear face coverings at all times.
“The spread of the coronavirus is impossible to control,” he said in his first televised briefing since August. “Face masks are the only choice we have. We take it off only to eat [when we are with someone else].”
“I want to say, with a clear conscience, that we do not lose hope, we continue to fight as citizens with measures that make our lives easier, that allow social life without the ban [lockdown], which has huge social consequences…We want to avoid a lockdown, with its consequences,” he added.
Tsiodras stated that people’s “personal choice will play an important role” in how the pandemic develops in the country.
Meanwhile, Deputy Civil Protection Minister Nikos Hardalias announced that the regions of Ioannina and Serres will enter into lockdown after a rise in infections.
It is recalled night-time curfews from 12.30a.m-5.00a.m. were enforced in Athens and Thessaloniki last weekend. “The curfew from 12:30 to 05:00 in all epidemiologically burdened regions (level 3 and 4) and mandatory use of face masks everywhere. It is obvious that we have a difficult three months ahead of us and we have an obligation to strictly follow the measures, first of all to save lives and secondly to avoid putting excessive pressure on the health system and, finally, to avoid imposing even stricter measures,” Greece’s Government Spokesperson, Stelios Petsas said on Monday.
Latest covid-19 numbers in Greece
Greece recorded 1,259 new cases of COVID-19 in the latest 24-hour reporting period.
This raises the total number of cases to 32,752.
3,950 are considered to be related to travel from abroad and 12,381 are related to an already known case.
One hundred and two individuals are in ICU. Their median age is 65 years, and 33 of them are women. 96.1% have an underlying condition or are aged 70 years and above.
A total of 277 patients have been discharged from ICUs since the start of the pandemic in Greece.
The country’s pandemic death toll stands at 593. The median age of all was 79 years and 96.1% of the deceased had an underlying condition and/or age of 70 years or more.
Earlier this month, the government launched an interactive COVID-19 map that allows citizens and visitors to quickly find out more about the epidemiological situation across Greece and discover the measures that are in effect. Please click here for the website- covid19.gov.gr.
