Man cleared of bringing coronavirus from Italy as emergency measures unveiled
As doctors in western port city of Patra on Tuesday cleared a man suspected of bringing the highly contagious new coronavirus into Greece from Italy, the government unveiled a series of emergency measures to contain the disease in the case of an outbreak.
In a regular press briefing on Tuesday, government spokesman Stelios Petsas announced a legislative act that will contain five initial measures decided during a government meeting at the prime minister’s office in the Maximos Mansion on Monday.
The first article of the act gives authorities the right to carry out checks at all entry points (including highways and train stations) and to place individuals presenting possible symptoms of the disease under restriction and medial surveillance.
It also allows them to restrict air, sea and rail services from and to countries where infections of the new coronavirus have been reported and to place restrictions on public transportation in the case of an outbreak in Greece.
The second article permits the transfer of ambulance, medical and other hospital staff to any part of the country where their presence may be needed, as well as paving the way for new medial hirings, while the third sets guidelines allowing the state to purchase related medical material without having to go through the tender process.
Article four, Petsas said, will allow the state to make use of private medial and accommodation facilities if the need should arise and the fifth bolsters economic support to the Health Ministry.
