Greece confirmed another 310 new COVID-19 cases on Tuesday, with 30 of these linked to known clusters and 12 identified at entry points to the country. There were also six deaths bringing the total number of fatalities in the country to 313.
There are currently 67 people intubated at Greek hospitals as a result of the virus.
University of Athens Professor Gkikas Magiorkinis said on Tuesday that most new cases concern people aged from 25 to 34 years of age. “This age group leads in the pandemic distribution,” he said, “followed by the group of those aged 45 to 54, and 35 to 44 years.”
Attica, where Athens is located, is home to a third of the Greek population and has recorded half of all Greek cases. Professor Magiorkinis said that urban centres are “hotbeds” of new infections and he urged the public to keep social interaction to just small groups of friends and relatives.
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Following the spike, Greece’s Deputy Minister Nikos Hardalias announced restrictions to prevent the spread of COVID-19 for the Attica region as well as Trikala.
New measures are effective on Wednesday. These are:
- open air entertainment venues must not exceed a 50 per cent capacity, with audiences seated and smoking and alcohol not allowed
- indoor entertainment venues have been suspended for 14 days
- cinemas and theatres can still operate, but at a 60 per cent capacity
- wearing face masks is compulsory at all public and private spaces and all outdoor areas where people may gather, such as squares, bus stops and queuing at shops and public services
- restaurants can operate with a maximum of six seated customers
- a maximum of 50 people are allowed at public social events and gatherings
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The area of Trikala has been placed under epidemiological surveillance from 6am Wednesday.