Health expert does not rule out fresh lockdown

A leading health expert on Friday did not rule out another lockdown in Greece to stem the spread of Covid-19.

Responding to a journalist’s question on Skai TV, Alkiviadis Vatopoulos, a microbiologist from the University of West Attica and a member of the government’s advisory committee, said: “Never say never.”

Vatopoulos expressed the certainty that Greece will experience a fourth and a fifth coronavirus wave over the winter, adding that “the only question is how big these will be.”

“[The answer] will depend on social attitudes,” he said.

Health authorities on Thursday announced 3,407 new cases of Covid-19, of which 703 were identified in Attica, 496 in Thessaloniki and 258 in Larissa. Three-digit case numbers were also reported in Magnesia (136), Achaia (126) and Imathia (123).

Another 34 people died due to complications caused by the virus.