Update – 19/04/2021
April 19, 2021
Who we are
Action Digital is a full-service digital agency based in Cyprus offering services in web
As of the latest update by the Greek authorities, the total number of confirmed Covid-19 diagnosed cases in Greece is 315,273. 65 new deaths were reported raising the total number to 9,462. The number of patients treated in intensive care units is currently 841. 1,829 new cases were announced yesterday in Greece. 917 of the new cases were found in the Attica region and 225 new cases in the Thessaloniki region.
Despite the high numbers of coronavirus cases, deaths, and intubations in recent weeks, Dr. Vana Papevangelou, a member of the country’s Committee of Experts of the Ministry of Health, announced Friday that Greece’s epidemiological situation seems to be stabilizing. Papaevangelou stressed that the country’s total number of active coronavirus cases has remained at approximately 26,000 for a few weeks, without increasing. Additionally, the country’s positivity rate has been on the decline in recent days.
Despite these positive signs, Papaevangelou stressed that the country still finds itself in a very delicate position, as transmission of the virus among family members remains high.
The average age of people diagnosed with the coronavirus has also been steadily lowering, Papaevangelou noted, which indicates that many young Greeks are not following the country’s strict anti-virus rules stringently.
The Greek government, eager to fully open up economic activity, is working to accelerate vaccinations to help develop so-called herd immunity against the coronavirus sooner rather than later. To ensure greater participation in the vaccination drive, the government must convince people that the vaccines are safe despite recent concerns about the products of AstraZeneca and Johnson & Johnson.
The economy has been suffocating under the variable lockdown conditions and state coffers are getting thinner. The Finance Ministry wants the latest aid package of €3 billion to prop up struggling businesses to be the last, having already exceeded budget projections.
A positive development is that there are now data showing that vaccinations are working: even though intubations are still breaking record highs, they are on the decline for the over-75s, a great part of whom have completed their two jabs.
Intubations are still rising steeply for those aged 65-74, but vaccinations for this age group have only begun recently – on March 26 for those aged 70-74 and on April 2 for the 65-69 group. There is also a slight upward trend for the under 60s, who have not started vaccinations yet. The same trends are evident in the number of hospitalizations and deaths.
At the office of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, there is guarded optimism, after many difficult weeks, that the number of new cases will begin to gradually decline, followed by a drop in hospitalizations and intubations, easing the pressure on the public health system.
Officials are also satisfied that a relaxation of restrictions in retail has not led to a rise in the viral load. But, there is another test coming up in the middle of the week: the effect of the opening of high schools the previous Monday, with students having to produce self-test results to be able to attend.
While the reopening of the economy will be careful, the government is betting that the tourism season, on which so much of the economy depends, will open as planned on May 14.
The progress of the pandemic will also affect whether residents will be allowed to make the customary trip to their ancestral villages to celebrate Easter. The Orthodox Easter falls on May 2 this year. A final decision is expected Friday.
The government will start distributing self-administered coronavirus tests to a wider range of employees in the public and private sector for whom testing for Covid-19 is mandatory as of today.
Public sector employees include those working in Citizens’ Service Centers (KEP), local municipal administrations, court employees, cleaning services and those employed in the “Help at Home” program.
In the private sector, employees who will have to provide a negative result are those in retail, hospitality, transport and travel, hairdressers, nail salons, and betting agencies. Tests will have to be taken once a week, before going to work.
Thousands of Greek youth defied the coronavirus restrictions and organized parties at several main squares in Athens over the weekend. Large gatherings were observed at neighborhoods of Kipseli, Exarcheia and Pangrati. Varnava Square in the Pangrati district of Athens has been placed under the close supervision of a special police unit since Friday afternoon to ensure that health safety measures are observed.
Police have blocked the surrounding streets leading to the square, allowing only permanent residents access to the area. The action was taken after a delegation of disgruntled residents filed a complaint with local police on Friday.
According to residents, gatherings, albeit smaller ones, also take place on weekdays, which disperse by around 1 a.m., with loudspeakers playing music and moped races around the square.
In more detail, the 1,829 new cases detected per Regional Unit:
