The COVID Performance Index compiled by the Lowy Institute ranked 98 countries’ handling of the COVID-19 outbreak.
Cyprus performed in the top 5, while Greece was ranked in 32nd place.
From “black sheep” to “shining example”, Greece received international recognition and applause for the way it handled the first wave of the coronavirus pandemic.
In their report, the Lowy Institute reveal that smaller populations, cohesive societies and capable institutions were big factors in successfully dealing with the pandemic.
The study measured a number of key indicators including confirmed cases, deaths, cases per million people and deaths per million people.
Top 10 countries:
- New Zealand
- Vietnam
- Taiwan
- Thailand
- Cyprus
- Rwanda
- Iceland
- Australia
- Latvia
- Sri Lanka
National vaccinations plan in Greece is unfolding
According to Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias, the national vaccinations plan is unfolding according to the vaccines' availability.
He also noted that the availability of vaccines is hindered by alarming delays in distribution to EU member states.
"Beyond the reasons of these delays, about which little is known even at EU-level, we must bear in mind that the EU -with its 27 states, its 450 million citizens and its 22 trillion euros of Gross Domestic Product in public health issues- must and should negotiate even more firmly, and protect its weakest citizens against business and intra-national competition."
"These companies need to understand that the best part of their financial sponsoring came from state budgets, namely taxpayers' money, including the citizens of Greece," he underlined.
EU member states and businesses "are very well aware that there is no economy without good public health," he concluded.
Latest covid-19 numbers in Greece
Greece recorded 858 new cases of COVID-19 in the latest 24-hour reporting period.
This raises the total number of cases to 154,083.
5,893 are considered to be related to travel from abroad and 47,802 are related to an already known case.
Two hundred and seventy-four individuals are in ICU. Their median age is 69 years. 86.9% have an underlying condition or are aged 70 years and above.
A total of 1,090 patients have been discharged from ICUs since the start of the pandemic in Greece.
The country’s pandemic death toll stands at 5,724. The median age of all was 79 years and 95.4% of the deceased had an underlying condition and/or age of 70 years or more.
