Greece is on the verge of reintroducing some COVID-19 restrictions following a spike of coronavirus cases.
A statement by the Health Ministry of Greece on Sunday announced that total infections increased to 3,803 with 132 recorded in the last three days and 31 in the last 24 hours of which seven came from travellers to Greece.
Since the country reopened its international borders on 1 July, local health authorities have reported that more than 100 tourists have tested positive for COVID-19 in the last ten days. Greek health officials are particularly concerned about the number of ‘asymptomatic’ cases among foreign travellers.
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Greece’s Government Spokesperson Stelios Petsas said the spike was no surprise. “We knew from the beginning that when we gradually opened the country’s gates to the world, we would have imported incidents,” he said, adding that the country is “determined to protect the majority from the frivolous few”. He added that that new restrictions would be announced on Monday if these were deemed necessary.
Greece’s daily Kathimerini reports that Greece is considering the reimposition of some lockdown restrictions after the government warned that safety guidelines are being ignored. Other reports point that Greece will be stepping up its inspection of bars and restaurants.
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The Greek death toll remains at 193 with no new death recorded in the last six days.