More regions across Greece were placed at higher “risk level” on the Covid-Map that was updated on Wednesday, October 20, 2021, as the coronavirus infections have started to surge again. Two regions turned “red” highest level and five turned “orange”, while an increased epidemiological burden has been confirmed on the islands of Chios and Ithaki.
Although the government abandoned the scheme of “local lockdown” some two weeks ago, health experts in Greece do not rule out new measures to contain the spread of the virus, media report citing a meeting on Tuesday.
Characteristic for the new situation and the people’s attitude are the over 100 infections in Episkopi village by Naousa, western Macedonia after a wedding. There were 3-day celebrations in both the house of the bride and the groom, where vaccinated and unvaccinated relatives, friends and guests nicely mingled with each other to celebrate.
COVID-MAP Oct 20
Only a few regional units in northern Greece are not extremely overburdened with infections that have started to put immense pressure on the health care network.
Regions turned Red from Orange: Grevena, Trikala
Regions turned Orange” from Yellow: Mount Athos, Mykonos, Arcadia, Lefkada, Lesvos
Regions turned Yellow from Green: Chios, Ithaki
In Grevena there was an increase in cases among the elderly population, while in Trikala there in an increase in elderly’s hospitalizations.
On the bright side, some regions decreased their “coronavirus risk level” due to a decrease of infections since last week.
From Orange to Yellow: Corfu
From Yellow to Green: Sporades, Kefalonia
Interactive COVID-MAP in English here.
In the last two days, ten regions across Greece confirmed 3-digit infections.
PANDEMIC DATA & INDICATORS
Analyzing the pandemic data in the last 7 days, the experts at the meeting on Tuesday found a burden on all indicators in the rolling average.
- Cases: 2,657 (increase by 375 cases),
- Positivity: 1.44% (increase by 0.22%)
- Hospital admissions: 208 (increase by 20 patients)
- Intubated: 354 (increase by 19 patients)
- Deaths: 33 (increase by 3 deaths)
HEALTH EXPERTS CONSIDER NEW MEASURES
At a session of the Epidemiologists’ Committee taking place today, the health experts may propose new measures to reduce the effects of the pandemic, but also to simplify what is already in force, so that citizens can understand them and therefore follow them more easily, website iatropedia reported.
Experts see the increase in the stocking pace of vaccinations as well as in the misconception that vaccinated people do not contract the virus, but also in the resistance of a large percentage of the population to either get the jab or keep up with hygiene measures like masks and social distancing, or both.
Experts are considering to add a new level of “heath risk”, a level marked Purple, where the use of a mask will be universal, the additional use of protection measures in public transport, but also the prohibition of public events with the participation of many people.
The measures that will be discussed today and if they are approved will be announced in the information tomorrow, Thursday.
In an effort to boost the vaccination program and have more people to get vaccinated, the country’s top epidemiologist Sotiris Tsiodras is to make a public appearance again after almost one year.
