Update – 28/09/2020

As of the latest update by the Greek authorities on Sunday, the total number of confirmed Covid-19 diagnosed cases in Greece is 17,444. 3 new deaths were reported raising the total number to 379. The number of patients treated in intensive care units stands at 68. 218 new cases where announced yesterday in Greece, maintaining the daily number above 200. 118 of the new cases were found in the Attica region.

With the government keen to avoid a full lockdown in Attica, which has seen a spike in coronavirus infections, authorities are considering a series of additional measures to curb the spread of the virus. Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis has made it clear that safeguarding public health is the priority. However, protecting Greece’s fragile economy is also a concern and his government is keen to avoid the fallout of a second lockdown as long as the public health sector is able to cope. The government is reportedly considering four new restrictions if additional measures for Attica fail to curb the recent upward trend in infections. These are: the mandatory use of face masks in all public areas, both closed and open; the imposition of a public curfew after midnight (an extension of last week’s decision to close street kiosks and mini-markets at midnight); earlier closing times for restaurants and bars, which are currently obliged to stop operating at midnight; and the designation of specific hours for high-risk citizens – the sick and those aged over 65 – to visit supermarkets. 

Kiosks, mini markets and liquor stores will have to close at midnight in Attica and other regions where the number of coronavirus infections remains high. Further restrictive measures were announced in the regional unit of Trikala which include wearing face coverings indoors and outdoors.

As part of ongoing efforts to ensure that safety protocols are being adhered to, the Hellenic Police (ELAS) said that it had conducted a total of 42,513 inspections around the country and recorded 193 violations for failure to wear a mask or observe physical distancing.

After cautiously reopening schools earlier this month, the Education Ministry now faces a new challenge to ensure their smooth operation as the number of sit-ins across the country is growing, with pupils protesting the government’s response to the pandemic among other things, amid suspicions by authorities that many of the protests are politically motivated. Some 200 schools are currently under occupation and, although the number is a small fraction of the 14,000 schools across the country, the government is worried that the trend could pick up. 

Migrant reception centers in Thiva, central Greece, and Serres, in the country’s north, have been put on lockdown following outbreaks of the coronavirus. The lockdowns were announced on Saturday in a joint decision by the ministries of Migration, Citizens’ Protection and Health and are to remain in force until October 9 when they will be reviewed. 

A male migrant died of Covid-19 on Sunday, the first reported death of an asylum seeker since the pandemic broke out in Greece in late February. The 61-year-old Afghan, a father of two children, who lived at the migrant camp of Malakasa north of Athens, was treated and died at a hospital in Athens. His contacts are being traced.

The government will launch a new TV campaign next month to raise awareness about the measures required to curb the spread of the coronavirus. The TV spots will be similar to those of the successful “Menoume Spiti” (We Stay at Home) campaign that was played during the first lockdown.

Regarding yesterday’s 218 cases:

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

4 imported cases that took the test voluntarily

118 cases were detected in the regional unit of Attica

8 cases were detected in the regional unit of Thessaloniki

1 case was detected in the regional unit of Aitoloakarnania

1 case was detected in the regional unit of Achaia

1 case was detected in the regional unit of Grevena

1 case was detected in the regional unit of Evros

2 cases were detected in the regional unit of Evoia

4 cases were detected in the regional unit of Ioannina

3 cases were detected in the regional unit of Karditsa

2 cases were detected in the regional unit of Kastoria

3 cases were detected in the regional unit of Kozani

2 cases were detected in the regional unit of Magnisia

1 case was detected in the regional unit of Mesinia

1 case was detected in the regional unit of Naxos

5 cases were detected in the regional unit of Pellas

3 cases were detected in the regional unit of Pieria

1 case was detected in the regional unit of Rodos

5 cases were detected in the regional unit of Samos

1 case was detected in the regional unit of Tinos

8 cases were detected in the regional unit of Trikala

4 cases remain under investigation

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