Eighteen areas remain in state of alert

Authorities and health experts are closely monitoring the course of the second wave of the coronavirus pandemic as it unfolds around the country with increasing concern, both in terms of the suffocating pressure it is exerting on the National Health System and its dynamics in areas outside major urban centers, such as Pella, Pieria, Grevena, Drama and Serres in northern Greece.

Tellingly, in the last seven days, Pella has reported 430 cases per 100,000 people (the highest proportion in the country), while Grevena has confirmed 400 cases per 100,000. 

In the same period, Attica has reported just over 60 per 100,000.

According to Deputy Civil Protection Minister Nikos Hardalias on Friday, 18 areas of the country are particularly burdened, while he stressed that “failures or non-observance of measures can put other areas of the country in the same position.”

These 18 areas are Pella, Drama, Thessaloniki, Grevena, Florina, Pieria, Imathia, Serres, Larissa, Kilkis, Halkidiki, Magnesia, Xanthi, Karditsa, Evros, Kavala, Rodopi and Trikala. 

What’s more, of particular concern is the increase in the viral load in recent days in Achaia, Aitoloakarnania and Ilia in southern Greece, with Hardalias saying it is imperative that safety measures are strictly observed in the next 24 hours.

Indicatively, the number of cases in Aitoloakarnania has almost doubled in the last seven days compared to the previous corresponding period (202 against 119 cases). In order to better monitor the evolution of the epidemic throughout Greece, teams of the National Public Health Organization have been carrying out free rapid tests around the country in recent days.

More specifically, on Thursday, a total of 1,409 tests were performed in eight regional units throughout Greece, with the percentages of positive tests ranging from 7.38% (Veria) to 0% (Corinth, Velo).

Meanwhile on Friday, 2,013 new cases of coronavirus were recorded, with the total number of laboratory-confirmed Covid-19 cases since the beginning of the pandemic reaching 101,287.