Increased coronavirus infections in the last three weeks are a cause of concern and Greece’s health experts do not rule out the return of masks indoors, National Health Care Organization EODY said in an emergency meeting on Monday morning.There is an sharp increase in tourist destinations and Athens.
Main factors for the rising trend of infections are the increased mobilization due to the holiday season and a relaxed attitude of young people aged 18-24.
Speaking an emergency public briefing, EODY president Theoklis Zaoutis and epidemiology and preventive medicine experts and EODY vice Dimitris Paraskevis pointed to data showing that the number of active cases nationwide right now is estimated at 150,000-200,000.
Paraskevis noted that the biggest increases in cases have been seen on the islands of the Ionian and southern Aegean and in Crete as well as in the Greek capital Athens.
The health experts added that the SARS-CoV-2 transmission rate (Rt) has been calculated at 1.3. This means that every 10 infected people will infect another 13.
Experts have previously predicted that the peak of the summer coronavirus wave will be reached by the middle of July.
Hospital admissions and intubations have also been rising in the past three weeks, the health experts confirmed, however, they added that the public health system has not come under undue pressure yet.
Admissions in ICU per 100,000 population are at low levels, Zaoutis stressed.i
Referring to the two new sub-variants of the Omicron mutation BA4 and BA5, he said that over 50% of infections in the country are of the Omicron mutation.
The EODY leadership noted that the expert committee advising the government will be making a recommendation for masks to become mandatory in all indoor public settings like supermarkets and stores.
Summarizing data from the briefing
- Largest increase of infections in the last 3 weeks is recorded mainly in the age group of 18-24.
- Growth in other age groups is stable.
- Re-infections have increased in the last 3 weeks.
- Regions showing the greatest increase are: Ionian islands, South Aegean islands, Crete, Attica.
PS Tired of 2.5 years of pandemic and restrictions also almost half of passengers in Athens public transport means do not wear a face mask, even though it is still mandatory.
Note also that in the last two days, the number of Covid-related deaths rose to 26.
Sunday, July 3: 11,629 new confirmed cases, 26 deaths, 98 intubations
Saturday: July 2: 18,967 new cases, 26 deaths, 97 intubations
Yay there go the “experts” again – How do these clowns still have jobs? Actually, don’t answer that, it’s all agenda driven so of course they do. I guess by October all the fascist plandemic measures will be back. It’s beyond me how there’s still so many people who are for this
Seriously, masks on, masks off, masks on. I’ve been wearing my Phantom of the Opera mask all through the pandemic and I’m yet to catch covid.
I live in Chania and uses the buses.
Almost none of the turist uses masks in the buses. And many of the busdrivers don’t say anything.
If the police would check the buses at 1866, They would easy give 1000s of fines every day.
And if They would check the buses and the taxies on the roads They would be able to give a lot of fines.
Police: do your job!
Sigh…..
Here we go again, because all those masks worked so well last time didn’t they?
infections up when masks down