Tsiodras praised in Die Zeit for helping Greece contain coronavirus

German weekly Die Zeit has praised the Greek government’s chief scientific adviser on the coronavirus, Sotiris Tsiodras, for helping keep infections in the country at manageable levels.

“Of all places, Greece, which was considered a failed state during the euro crisis, is now doing exemplary work in the fight against the coronavirus,” Die Zeit writes.

“Thanks to the government’s rapid response, the country avoided a health care crisis that many richer countries are facing,” it writes.

Greece, which adopted lockdown measures to try to slow the spread of the new coronavirus on March 23, has registered 2,401 infections since its first case surfaced in late February. The death toll stands at 121.

A report published last week by French think-tank The Bridge found that Greece has performed better than any other country in Europe in its response to the pandemic.

“Not least thanks to Sotiris Tsiodras,” writes Die Zeit, adding that as head of the Health Ministry’s committee of experts on contagious diseases, the soft-spoken Harvard-trained professor played a key role in developing the strategy to contain Covid-19.