Thirteen dialysis patients, eleven health workers and four other patients were tested positive to coronavirus in a private clinic in Peristeri suburb of West Athens. One dialysis patient died on Wednesday, a second one late on Thursday. The clinic has been placed in quarantine.
The mass infection has alerted Greece’s health authorities, who rushed to the clinic, as results from another 45 tests are still pending on Thursday afternoon.
According to state broadcaster ERT TV, one patient went to the clinic for dialysis Tuesday last week and again on the following Thursday.
It seems that the patient had high fever on the second time he went to the clinic. He was transferred to another hospital where he underwent a COVID-19 test with positive result.
Immediately doctors, nurses and other patients were informed about the issue and dozens of samples were taken for COVID-19 tests.
Meanwhile, the ‘zero’ patient is hospitalized in Thriasio hospital.
Head of Civil Protection Nikos Hardalias said that internal investigation will be launched and warned that disciplinary measures and legal measures will be taken for neglecting safety protocols amid the pandemic.
A prosecutor intervened a few hours later and is currently investigates the issue.
Hardalias revealed that one patient in another private health facility in a suburb of South Athens passed away early Thursday morning after contracting coronavirus infection. 130 health workers have been tested, 90 of them negative, while other results are pending. Tested are to be also 300 patients at the facility.
According to daily efsyn, the facility is a private clinic for mental issues in Elliniko suburb in south-east Athens.
The number of coronavirus- related deaths in Greece increased to 125 on Thursday after four more people died in the last 24 hours. 55 new confirmed cases have been recorded increasing the total number of infections to 2,463.
According to the daily briefing Thursday afternoon, 52 patients and intibated in hospital intensive care units.
57 patients in total have been discharged from the ICUs.
A total of 59,241 tests have been conducted since the outbreak of coronavirus the country end of February.
