Active infections in Attica total 5,100; ICU occupancy rate at 83 pct

The dispersion rate of the novel coronavirus remains high in Greece, especially in the region of Attica, where active infections total 5,100, a fact that has heightened the concerns of scientists, pediatric infectious diseases doctor Vana Papaevangelou said on Friday.

During a regular live briefing, the member of the Health Ministry's coronavirus experts committee said that during the past week the average rate of new infections was 11 per 100,000 population. Active infections nationwide are estimated at around 10,000 in total, while their real number is higher if those without symptoms are added.

Hospital admissions rates have reached 200 per day on a national level and the number of people on ventilators has rise by 67 pct. In Attica, the current occupancy of Covid-19 beds in ICUs is 83 pct.

The average positivity of diagnostic tests has risen to 2.8 percent, she said, while the infection rate of those aged 20-60 has also risen.

Another committee member and infectious disease specialist, Gkikas Magiorkinis, said at the same briefing that, according to preliminary data, additional restrictive measures in Attica have begun to show results, but this will become clearer in around 10 days.

Magiorkinis said a mild rise was expected in ICU admissions in the next two weeks. In Thessaloniki, infections are showing a stabilizing trend, and hospitalization rates are not expected to rise abruptly.