Update – 26/02/2021
February 26, 2021
As of the latest update by the Greek authorities, the total number of confirmed Covid-19 diagnosed cases in Greece is 186,469. 39 new deaths were reported raising the total number to 6,410. The number of patients treated in intensive care units is currently 367. 1,784 new cases were announced yesterday in Greece. 880 of the new cases were found in the Attica region and 183 new cases in the Thessaloniki region.
Concerns continue to mount among health experts over the steadily high rate of new coronavirus infections and the gradual increase in the number of deaths and intubated patients. Experts are also keeping a close eye on the variants of the virus that have been detected, seeking to assess their impact on efforts to control the pandemic.
The National Genomic Surveillance Network for coronavirus mutations announced Thursday that an additional 242 variants have been identified. Moreover, a total of 990 positive samples of the British and South African strains have been confirmed in Greece so far.
Responding to the recent surge in coronavirus cases, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced an extension of the lockdown during a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday, saying the epidemiological data have forced the government to reconsider plans for a gradual relaxation of restrictions as of March 1.
The question now is how long this specific extension will last, with some health experts already urging an additional two weeks, until March 15.
The final decisions will be made today, on the heels of Thursday’s meeting of infectious disease specialists under Professor Sotiris Tsiodras, who are seeking to identify, as far as this is possible, the causes that have led to the resurgence of the pandemic.
The latest developments are further hurting the economy, as the cost of each week the market is closed is estimated at 400-500 million euros, placing further pressure on the finite reserves available to the government. Given these high financial stakes, it is likely that the restrictions could be extended for a week and then re-evaluated next Friday.
Against this gloom, Mitsotakis sought to strike a note of optimism, referring to the vaccination program which he said is going very well and that the time is approaching when a wall of immunity will be created. “We must remain very focused on the measures that we know work,” he said, noting that the world now has the weapon of vaccinations in its hands “which is something that we did not have a few months ago.”
According to sources, Greece is expected to complete one million vaccinations next week.
In more detail, the 1,784 new cases detected per Regional Unit: