Minister: Country will learn to live with virus

Health Minister Thanos Plevris said Wednesday that he does not believe in a zero-Covid strategy, adding that Greece will have to coexist with the virus.

During a press briefing ahead of the Easter holiday period, Plevris said that the government has given priority to bolstering national healthcare and protecting vulnerable groups. These policies combined with current epidemiological trends of the coronavirus disease, Plevris said, ensure that Greece is well-placed to coexist with Covid-19.

The conservative minister rebuffed criticism over Greece’s high death rate from Covid-19, saying that it is below the EU average.

Meanwhile on Wednesday, the National Organization for Public Health (EODY) announced a drop in new Covid-19 infections to 7,365 from 10,005 the previous day and a rise in the number of deaths to 64 from 46. EODY said the number of intubated patients eased to 291 from 298 on Tuesday.

The total number of confirmed infections in Greece since the start of the pandemic stands at 3,259,613, while 28,765 have died.