Microbiology Professor and member of Greece’s coronavirus expert committee warned on Friday morning that given the current rate of transmission, new infections could reach and pass the 2,000 mark this weekend.
Speaking to Skai TV, Professor Alakiviadis Vatopoulos said that new daily infections appear to be doubling on a weekly to 10-day basis, jumping from around 400 at the beginning of the month to 800 and now reaching well over 1,000 within a few weeks.
He stressed that the majority of new infections currently concerns young people. He warned that the situation will get a lot worse in terms of fatalities and the health system’s ability to cope, when transmission starts affecting older people.
Other health experts reportedly warn of 40,000 active cases in Attica and 70,000 in Thessaloniki.
Vatopoulos said that the committee has already discussed extending the curfew in areas struggling to contain the second wave of the pandemic, including Attica where bars and restaurants are obliged to close at midnight and a night curfew is from 00:30 to 05:00 a.m. Banning travel between regional units is under consideration, he added.
Vatopoulos said that he favors a lockdown. “As a doctor I would say to shut down everything, but I understand that it is a tough decision.”
Friday afternoon, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis will announce new measures to contain the spread of the coronavirus. According to media, the Prime Minister will personally decide what kind of measures will be taken with the deciding factor being the economic impact.
Mitsotakis said on Thursday that he wants to avoid a general lockdown like the first one in spring.
