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Update – 13/11/2020

As of the latest update by the Greek authorities on Wednesday, the total number of confirmed Covid-19 diagnosed cases in Greece is 66,637. 50 new deaths were reported raising the total number to 909. The number of patients treated in intensive care units stands at 310. A new record high 3,316 new cases were announced yesterday in Greece, raising the daily number over 3,000. 756 of the new cases were found in the Attica region and 828 in the Thessaloniki region.

Greece comes under tougher lockdown restrictions on Friday, a day after the country’s health authorities reported its worst performance since the outbreak of the coronavirus pandemic. Starting on Friday, a curfew is being imposed nationwide from 9 p.m. to 5 a.m. the next day in a bid to slow the virus’ transmission by preventing the public from engaging in non-essential activity outside the home, which has been much higher since the lockdown began last Saturday, compared to the spring. Only people traveling to or from work, attending to an emergency or walking a pet can circulate between those hours. They will need to send an SMS for permission to the 13033 hotline or have a pass from their employer – or face a 300-euro fine.

The curfew also applies to individuals wanting to go for a walk or a run. Businesses and organizations, meanwhile, have until Friday to draft a report that they may have to present to authorities at any given moment, demonstrating that they are operating only with an essential number of staff. Supermarkets will also be closing earlier, at 8.30 p.m. instead of 9 p.m. Monday to Friday. For this Friday only, they will be allowed to stay open until 9 p.m., while Saturday hours will remain the same, until 8 p.m.

With Greece having entered arguably the toughest phase of its battle with the coronavirus, experts are expected to propose an extension to the lockdown in December if the exponential growth rates experienced by many regions does not abate. According to experts, the question now is not whether Greeks will celebrate New Year’s Eve and Christmas, but whether Greece will have empty intensive care beds for patients with coronavirus. Unless something spectacular changes, the scientists of the government’s committee of experts are expected to suggest an extension of the lockdown for after November 30, as three weeks is not considered enough time to control the epidemic.

Greek doctor Daniel Konstantinidis, who works at Papanikolaou General Hospital in Thessaloniki, in northern Greece, published a cry for help on social media on Thursday, stating that “We are at war” with Covid-19. Dr. Konstantinidis writes in his post that the coronavirus pandemic is “unprecedented,” stressing the fact that no one living our time has faced anything like it. Thessaloniki has become the epicenter of the virus in Greece, as case numbers and intubations continue to skyrocket. The health system “is hanging on by a thread,” Konstantinidis writes, as hospitals in the city continue to fill up with Covid patients.

On Thursday, party leaders crossed swords in Parliament during a debate, which at times got personal, to discuss the government’s measures. Prime Minster Kyriakis Mitsotakis admitted that tougher restrictions should have been taken a week ago in Thessaloniki to avoid the rampant spread of the virus. “We could have imposed the use of face masks everywhere earlier, limited evening entertainment earlier, taken measures in Thessaloniki earlier,” he said. “We tried many plans, but they were betrayed by the behavior of some people,” he said. “The main source for the spread was the entertainment of young people.” SYRIZA opposition leader Alexis Tsipras accused Mitsotakis of being out of touch. For his part, the PM called Tsipras a “failed prime minister.”

Regarding yesterday’s 3,316 cases:

24 were detected during the tests carried out at Greece’s entry points

3 cases that took the test voluntarily

756 cases were detected in the regional unit of Attica

828 cases were detected in the regional unit of Thessaloniki

18 cases were detected in the regional unit of Aitoloakarnania

4 cases were detected in the regional unit of Argolida

4 cases were detected in the regional unit of Arkadia

6 cases were detected in the regional unit of Arta

31 cases were detected in the regional unit of Achaia

18 cases were detected in the regional unit of Voiotia

18 cases were detected in the regional unit of Grevena

98 cases were detected in the regional unit of Drama

76 cases were detected in the regional unit of Evros

10 cases were detected in the regional unit of Evoia

15 cases were detected in the regional unit of Evritania

9 cases were detected in the regional unit of Ilia

101 cases were detected in the regional unit of Imathia

20 cases were detected in the regional unit of Iraklio

1 case was detected in the regional unit of Thassos

4 cases were detected in the regional unit of Thesprotia

4 cases were detected in the regional unit of Thira

23 cases were detected in the regional unit of Ioannina

88 cases were detected in the regional unit of Kavala

3 cases were detected in the regional unit of Kalimnos

60 cases were detected in the regional unit of Karditsa

10 cases were detected in the regional unit of Kastoria

20 cases were detected in the regional unit of Kerkyra

39 cases were detected in the regional unit of Kilkis

32 cases were detected in the regional unit of Kozani

10 cases were detected in the regional unit of Korinthos

2 cases were detected in the regional unit of Lakonia

160 cases were detected in the regional unit of Larissa

5 cases were detected in the regional unit of Lasithi

28 cases were detected in the regional unit of Lesvos

2 cases were detected in the regional unit of Lefkada

71 cases were detected in the regional unit of Magnisia

17 cases were detected in the regional unit of Messinia

1 case was detected in the regional unit of Milos

1 case was detected in the regional unit of Mykonos

37 cases were detected in the regional unit of Xanthi

1 case was detected in the regional unit of Paros

194 cases were detected in the regional unit of Pellas

105 cases were detected in the regional unit of Pieria

1 case was detected in the regional unit of Preveza

3 cases were detected in the regional unit of Rethimno

42 cases were detected in the regional unit of Rodopi

9 cases were detected in the regional unit of Rodos

87 cases were detected in the regional unit of Serres

2 cases were detected in the regional unit of Sporades

26 cases were detected in the regional unit of Trikala

22 cases were detected in the regional unit of Fthiotida

19 cases were detected in the regional unit of Florina

22 cases were detected in the regional unit of Fokida

68 cases were detected in the regional unit of Chalkidiki

14 cases were detected in the regional unit of Chania

2 cases were detected in the regional unit of Chios

42 cases remain under investigation

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