Greece confirmed 262 new coronavirus cases on Wednesday, its highest tally since the start of the pandemic in the country following the first case which surfaced in late February. From these new cases, 22 were identified at the country’s entry points.
There were two more deaths on Wednesday, raising the death count to 216 people. There are currently 24 people in ICUs, and their median age is 63 years.
Greece’s Health Spokesman Sotiris Tsiodras announced cases in a nursing home in Asvestohori, Thessaloniki, where thirty-three residents and three staff members were infected with coronavirus however most of them asymptomatic. A 7-day lockdown has been imposed on the aged care facility, with all people testing positive being transferred to hospitals in Thessaloniki. Mr Tsiodras, who immediately flew to the region, said the infection had spread from a staff member who contracted the virus at a concert in Halkidiki, a popular vacation spot of Macedonia.
“We have an outbreak at this nursing home, which was observing all measures diligently as no guests were allowed,” Mr Tsiodras said. “Unfortunately, the source was a staff member who was infected in Halkidiki, at least as far as preliminary sampling shows.”
READ MORE: 203 COVID-19 cases overnight in Greece, 22 deaths
Mr Tsiodras also expressed concern that the median age of those infected is getting lower. “I’m not worried about being in greater danger,” he said. “What worries me is that they can pass it on more easily to vulnerable groups as most (young people) are asymptomatic.”
The latest tally shows 6,177 infections in Greece since the start of the pandemic, with 1,528 related to travel abroad and 3,002 from already known cases.