A decision by Greek authorities to re-open the
retail sector has been pushed back several times due to spikes in the number of Covid-19 cases over the past weeks with the national committee of health experts set to
convene on Wednesday to discuss the possibility of easing containment measures.
Greek Development & Investments Minister Adonis Georgiadis on Tuesday said the pressure on the health care system, the ongoing street rallies, the British strain of the virus are all hurdles to re-opening trade safely.
Georgiadis said the ministry was however seeking ways to get the market going, particularly in view of the fact that people were now suffering from Covid-19 fatigue due to the ongoing lockdown regulations.
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Professor of Paediatric Infectious Diseases at Athens University Vana Papaevaggelou, Greek Minister of Development and Investment Adonis Georgiadis and Greek Deputy Civil Protection Minister Nikos Hardalias. Photo source: Ministry of Development and Investment
With a
45 percent rise in new coronavirus infections in just one week, the Greek government’s Covid-19 health committee has advised for Attica to be placed in “red” status and for stricter measures to be imposed mainly on the retail sector.
Speaking to the media during the Covid-19 briefing on Friday,
Vana Papaevaggelou, infectious diseases specialist and member of the Covid-19 health committee, said that “all eyes are now on Attica”, as in the last week, the region’s epidemiological situation took an unpleasant turn. Attica is Greece’s largest region.
Greek infectious disease expert,
Nikos Sypsas, on Wednesday warned that emergency measures may have to be imposed on Attica due to the recent rise of coronavirus (Covid-19) infections in the region.
“The active cases in Attica are many,” Sipsas said to
Skai TV, adding that the problem has spread from the region’s central sector to the northern, eastern and western sectors as well.
His comments came after the National Organization for Public Health (EODY) announced 858 new coronavirus cases and 32 deaths in Greece. Most of the announced infections (409) were reported in the greater Athens area.
In total, according to EODY figures, at the moment in Greece there are 5,324 active cases, of which 2,374 are in Attica.