Greece’s Civil Protection extended the hard lockdown in Athens and Attica for one more week, until March 8, 2021, as daily number of new infections remained high and intensive care units treating patients with Covid-19 were close to capacity.
At the same time, authorities extended hard lockdown in several regional units and municipalities because infections do not decrease, placed some 10 regions in tougher restrictions and lifted extra measures in a few of them, where the number of infections recorded a decrease.
Daily coronavirus infections remain over 1700 in the last few days and the number of intubated patients increase daily as well. Daily Coronavirus Report here.
Remain in “red”
Regional Units of Kefallinia, Ilia (except the municipalities of Andritsaina-Krestena and Ancient Olympia), Thessaloniki, Halkidiki, Rethymno, Thassos, the Municipality of Agia (Larissa) the Municipality of Pydrou of Pydria-K Pieria, the Municipality of Zitsa, Ioannina, the municipalities of Nafplio and Argos-Mikyna of the Regional Unit of Argolida, as well as the municipalities of Tanagra and Thebes of the Regional Unit of Viotia.
Head of Civil Protection Nikos Hardalias said about the municipalities of Larissa and Volos that the epidemiological burden shows a dangerously increasing trend in the last 24 hours.
“We ask the residents to be very careful and consistent in observing the measures,” Hardalias said adding that ” cooperation of all is necessary in order to avoid further escalation of the viral load and take additional measures.”
New measures land-border crossings Kakavia and Evzonoi
Monday, March1 until March 15, crossing time will be 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. No more than 400 people daily.
New Documents for employees
From Monday, March 1m employers will have to supply employees with new exit documents until March 8, 2021.
Hardalias stressed that Athens & Attica remain in “Deep red” and the situation in Piraeus is cause of concern. He announced control increase in order to limit the spread of the virus. The same picture is in the west part of Athens where active cases have exceeded 1,000.
Professor of Pediatric Infectious Diseases and member of the Committee of Experts, Vana Papaevangelou said at the live briefing on Friday that the epidemiological burden remains very high, with 12,000 active cases across the country.
“There was no reduction in the epidemiological burden” as we expected, she said, referring particularly to Attica.
Due to fatigue maybe, the measures have not yet paid off. She reiterated the importance of individual responsibility and compliance with protection measures.
“We have had many small outbreaks in most of the peripheral units of the country, coming from gatherings in houses, workplaces, closed structures,” she stressed.
Scientists are concerned about the increase in hospitalizations, intubated patients and the spread of mutations (British and South African mutations and the identification of the new Uganda strain, she added.
The epidemiological burden remained constant, with the rolling average of 7 days amounting to 1,500 new cases.
She spoke of an increase in the number of new hospitalizations that exceeded 2,500 people, noting that there is pressure on the health system, with 88% of Covid ICUs being occupied. In the last week, she said, there has been an increase in deaths which will continue in the coming weeks.
sources: healthreport, amna
