Update – 19/11/2020

As of the latest update by the Greek authorities on Tuesday, the total number of confirmed Covid-19 diagnosed cases in Greece is 82,034. 60 new deaths were reported raising the total number to 1,288. The number of patients treated in intensive care units stands at 480. 3,209 new cases were announced yesterday in Greece, raising the daily number above 3,000. 564 of the new cases were found in the Attica region and 905 new cases in the Thessaloniki region.

The struggle to control the pandemic is evolving into an anxious race against time as the country’s health system inches closer to its limits, with the data allowing little room for optimism. Almost all of northern Greece is in a heightened state of alert – except for Thessaloniki. A total of 905 cases were identified in the country’s north on Wednesday, with Grevena, Pella, Drama, Pieria, Larissa, Florina, Halkidiki and Evros bearing the brunt of the surge.

Indicative of the pressure on the health system is that while new beds are constantly being made available in intensive care units for coronavirus patients, their rate of occupation remains worryingly high. Tellingly, 510 of the 624 Covid ICU beds were occupied on Wednesday morning. At the same time, Health Minister Vasilis Kikilias said authorities plan to inoculate 2,117,440 people a month once the vaccine arrives in the country. The vaccinations will take place at 1,018 health centers across Greece.

Meanwhile, with the government examining ways to ease the lockdown to ease the impact on the economy, spokesman Stelios Petsas sought on Wednesday to clarify that the lifting of measures will be conditional as the situation remains extremely worrisome. The plan envisages three phases, with schools opening first, as they are considered to carry the least epidemiological burden, followed by retail and finally sit-down restaurants.

Given that the epidemiological curve remains on steep, contrary to expectations of a drop, the most likely scenario is for schools to open on December 7. According to the time frame, retailers will open a week later so that the market can start moving, with restaurants following most likely on December 21 or even 19, which is a Saturday. Restaurants will open under strict rules, allowing only seated customers, while music will be prohibited. They will also have specific closing times, most likely at 10 or 11 p.m. Among the scenarios on the table is even the use of plexiglass protectors between customers, while a subsidy for heaters and stoves is being mulled so that outdoor spaces can be used to the fullest. According to Petsas, bars and nightclubs will not open as they draw large crowds.

Ten nurses are travelling from Crete to Thessaloniki on Wednesday, in order to voluntarily assist their medical colleagues in the fight against the coronavirus. The Greek Minister of Health, Vasilis Kikilias, announced that nurses named Vasiliki, Olympia, Evangelia, Artemis, Katerina, Malamati, Efrosini, Anthi, Chrysoula and Penelope, will offer their services at the “Ippokratio” hospital which is overwhelmed by Covid-19 cases. Kikilias said the ten nurses, from several different hospitals on Crete, have specialization in working in Intensive Care Units and arrived in Thessaloniki on Wednesday evening.

“All of Greece is now one health region and each health region will support the other,” the Minister said, adding that others — from areas that are not widely affected at the present time — would like to go to Thessaloniki to help. “I am indebted to them, but also to all the people of the national health service, who are fighting heroically in this unprecedented pandemic. “We will stand by them and support them in practice, as they have stood and supported us day and night for months now,” Kikilias said.

Regarding yesterday’s 3,209 cases:

564 cases were detected in the regional unit of Attica

905 cases were detected in the regional unit of Thessaloniki

9 cases were detected in the regional unit of Aitoloakarnania

2 cases were detected in the regional unit of Argolida

12 cases were detected in the regional unit of Arkadia

12 cases were detected in the regional unit of Arta

32 cases were detected in the regional unit of Achaia

9 cases were detected in the regional unit of Voiotia

19 cases were detected in the regional unit of Grevena

95 cases were detected in the regional unit of Drama

64 cases were detected in the regional unit of Evros

6 cases were detected in the regional unit of Evoia

8 cases were detected in the regional unit of Evritania

1 case was detected in the regional unit of Zakinthos

9 cases were detected in the regional unit of Ilia

111 cases were detected in the regional unit of Imathia

35 cases were detected in the regional unit of Iraklio

2 cases were detected in the regional unit of Thesprotia

2 cases were detected in the regional unit of Thassos

1 case was detected in the regional unit of Thira

14 cases were detected in the regional unit of Ioannina

76 cases were detected in the regional unit of Kavala

1 case was detected in the regional unit of Kalimnos

77 cases were detected in the regional unit of Karditsa

8 cases were detected in the regional unit of Kastoria

11 cases were detected in the regional unit of Kerkyra

4 cases were detected in the regional unit of Kefalonia

101 cases were detected in the regional unit of Kilkis

54 cases were detected in the regional unit of Kozani

10 cases were detected in the regional unit of Korinthia

5 cases were detected in the regional unit of Lakonia

207 cases were detected in the regional unit of Larissa

2 cases were detected in the regional unit of Lasithi

47 cases were detected in the regional unit of Lesvos

1 case was detected in the regional unit of Lefkada

4 cases were detected in the regional unit of Limnos

79 cases were detected in the regional unit of Magnisia

16 cases were detected in the regional unit of Messinia

4 cases were detected in the regional unit of Mykonos

34 cases were detected in the regional unit of Xanthi

3 cases were detected in the regional unit of Paros

166 cases were detected in the regional unit of Pellas

46 cases were detected in the regional unit of Pieria

1 case was detected in the regional unit of Preveza

7 cases were detected in the regional unit of Rethimno

33 cases were detected in the regional unit of Rodopi

8 cases were detected in the regional unit of Rodos

2 cases were detected in the regional unit of Samos

72 cases were detected in the regional unit of Serres

2 cases were detected in the regional unit of Sporades

1 case was detected in the regional unit of Siros

26 cases were detected in the regional unit of Trikala

9 cases were detected in the regional unit of Fthiotida

59 cases were detected in the regional unit of Florina

2 cases were detected in the regional unit of Fokida

23 cases were detected in the regional unit of Chalkidiki

10 cases were detected in the regional unit of Chania

57 cases remain under investigation

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