Update – 29/03/2021
March 29, 2021
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As of the latest update by the Greek authorities, the total number of confirmed Covid-19 diagnosed cases in Greece is 254,031. 54 new deaths were reported raising the total number to 7,880. The number of patients treated in intensive care units is currently 735. 1,449 new cases were announced yesterday in Greece. 607 of the new cases were found in the Attica region and 230 new cases in the Thessaloniki region.
A record number of patients with Covid-19 in Greece were on ventilators Sunday. The total number of people undergoing the intensive treatment, which involves placing a tube in the patient’s throat to assist breathing, has reached 735 in Greece. Sunday’s figure broke the previous record of 728, which was recorded just the day before, on Saturday.
During an announcement to the public on Friday, Deputy Minister of Civil Protection Nikos Chardalias and Alternative Minister of Health Vassilis Kontozamanis laid out the plan for the distribution of free coronavirus self-tests to the Greek population. The self-test kits will be available in Greek pharmacies to all Greeks — free of charge –starting in early April. Each citizen will be given one test per week for a two-month period, and an online platform will soon open, on which those who have taken the test can view their results.
If a self-test returns a positive result, a second test will be conducted at a certified health facility to confirm the result.
Weekly self-test to be mandatory for schools, retail, tourism, service industry. Officials hope that the self-tests will be a useful tool and measuring the number of asymptomatic carriers of the coronavirus in the country.
Kontozamanis stressed that, as the country will begin to reopen slowly, those working in sectors that will be open first — such as the service industry, businesses, tourism, retail stores, and the courts — will be required to conduct self-tests for the virus each week.
Weekly self-testing of teachers and students will also be mandatory when schools reopen.
Although many expected the birth rate to increase during lockdown, when couples are stuck indoors with little to do, the number of births in Greece has actually declined compared to figures recorded in years before. According to data released by the Greek Ministry of the Interior, births in November and December of 2020, nine months after Greece went into its first lockdown in March of 2020, were down 6.5% compared to births in the same months of 2019. A similar decline of the birth rate in Greece was also noted in the months of January and February of 2021 compared to 2020.
Holland is planning to send 200 people on holiday to Greece for eight days as an experiment to see if tourism is feasible during the pandemic, the BBC reports. The trial will see travelers enjoy an all-inclusive holiday in Rhodes, costing a mere €399 ($470) per person, the BBC says. Those chosen for the experiment — which has had 25,000 applications so far — will be expected to quarantine for ten days when they return to Holland. During the experiment, hosted by the travel company Sunweb, the selected 187 holiday-goers will not be allowed to leave the resort.
According to RTL Nieuws, they will be staying at the Mitsis Grand Hotel in Rhodes, where they will be the only guests.
Holland is discouraging all foreign travel, except essential journeys, until mid-May.
Since the beginning of the pandemic, the country has recorded 1.25 million confirmed cases and 16,536 deaths.
The country has been carrying out a number of experiments to understand which activities could be safe to resume, including a conference attended by 500 people and a dance party with 1,300 guests.
Those wishing to take part in the latest vacationing experiment must be aged 18-70 and will be tested before and after they travel.
In the experiment, which has been given the go-ahead by public health authorities in Holland, they will be allowed to use the hotel’s facilities, including three swimming pools and two restaurants, but won’t be able to head down to the beach or leave the resort.
In more detail, the 1,449 new cases detected per Regional Unit:
