Covid-19 ICUs close to 80% full as cases keep rising

Almost 80% of intensive care beds set aside at Greece’s coronavirus referral hospitals for Covid-19 patients with serious symptoms are full, with the problem being most acute in northern and central Greece, sources from the Health Ministry indicated on Monday.

According to the sources, of Greece’s 1,177 ICU beds for Covid-19 patients, 914 are currently occupied and just 263 are free, a rate of 22%.

The free bed rate in Thessaloniki, however, is just 5%, with 182 coronavirus ICU beds occupied out of a total of 192 in the northern port city, as well as in Halkidiki, Katerini and Kavala.

Hospitals in Thessaly and central Greece are also struggling, with just four (7%) free ICU beds out of 60, while in Macedonia and Thrace just 12 (12%) of 110 ICU beds are available.

The Greek capital is faring better, with an occupancy rate of 30% (148 beds) of a total of 212 ICU spots.

The broader region of the Peloponnese, the Ionian islands, Epirus and Western Greece has 47 Covid ICU beds, of which 25 are taken and 22 free (47%), while Crete has six free beds (33%) out of a total of 18.

Military hospitals across the country have set aside 12 beds in their intensive care units for Covid-19 patients with serious symptoms, all of which are full.

Meanwhile, the total number of beds set aside for coronavirus patients (critical and non-critical) across the country come to 5,629, of which 3,527 are currently occupied.