Five schools of Primary Education and one kindergarten in the broader area of Xanthi, north-eastern Greece, have been shut down for ten days after two teachers were tested positive to coronavirus.80 teachers and other educational staff in total have been placed in house isolation, teams of the Greek health authorities are to take samples and test them in the next days.
At the same time, a lawyer in the area has been also tested positive with the effect that courts in Xanthi, the local Bar Association and the morgue to have been closed down as well for precautionary reasons.
Authorities in Xanthi are reportedly still tracking contacts of 30 asymptomatic coronavirus infected people who were tested positive recently. Samples from another 30 people (court house personnel, judges etc) were taken for testing on Wednesday, and more samples are to be taken from members of the bar association and employees.
The recent coronavirus clusters in Xanthni, infections of locals following returns of Greeks from abroad, crowding in bars and a general relaxation of protective measures and social distancing have alerted health experts who expect an increase of infections in the next two weeks.
Nikos Sypsas, professor for infectious diseases and member of the committee of experts, that these behaviors will be reflected in the epidemiological curve in two weeks, when it is estimated that the numbers will be higher than today.
The virus is still circulating in Greece, regardless of whether the heat and the summer have made us forget it a bit, he warned.
The Health Ministry announced on Wednesday that confirmed cases staood at 3,068 and death toll at 183.
According to information of website healthreport, authorities are considering new additional measures that may restrain the spread of the virus to some extent and the government is awaiting for their proposals.
The measures could be “movement restrictions beyond geographical boundaries, while all other activities to operate normally, mandatory use of masks, . This is what the experts will tell us. However, there are other measures such as the mandatory use of a mask, or restriction in the operation of some businesses, the website notes.
Government spokesman Stelios Petsas said on Thursday that the epidemiological course was good but the virus was still lurking.
“The country is carefully continuing its course to the new normality. A month after the lifting of the lockdown, the epidemiological picture remains good. According to the latest figures, the RO number is lower than it was when we decided to lift the lockdown. Nonetheless, nobody should be complacent and obviously not the government,” he said.
He warned that “the virus is here and is lurking and we know that if we relax we will pay for it.”
He added that the government was now focusing on the possibility of “imported” cases from the moment the country opens its gates to tourism on June 15 and on possible local clusters, whether these concern a region, a neighborhood, an island, a school or an area.
Like other government officials, Panagiotis Arkoumaneas, President of the National Health Organization (EODY) reassured a few days ago that there will be no second lockdown like the one in March and April.
PS the country cannot afford a second lockdown financially. Period.
Never say never..another lock down like the last one,no,perhaps another much more severe than the last.These coming weeks or months will show whether Greece will end up worse than the UK,Italy and America.
As soon as the doors are open for other countries to visit we will have lost all the good we have done. unless all visitors are checked on entry..( ͡~ ͜ʖ ͡°)