Athens went into a two week hard lockdown back on 11 February, yet coronavirus cases continue to rise, reaching 1400 new cases a day.

According to the original government order the lockdown was to be lifted at the end of the month, however, it seems that even stricter tules will have to be imposed to control the outbreak.

Intensive care units (ICU) in Athens reached 85 per cent capacity this week with the average admission of patients with Covid-19 to hospitals reaching 215 patients a day for the past week. At the moment, 320 patients are in ICUs.

Unfortunately, 27 people with the coronavirus passed away in the country over the past 24-hour period.

An extension to the measures is expected for another two weeks beyond the original deadline of 28 February according to Maria Tsolia, a professor of paediatric medicine and infectious diseases.

“I do not think we will be reopening that fast,” she said. “We would have to see a reduction in numbers in Covid ICU; we cannot reopen with capacity at 70-80 per cent.”

Currently, the total number of cases Greece has recorded since the beginning of the pandemic sits at 176,059 while the death toll has reached 6,221.

The median age of all Covid-19 deaths is 79 years and 95.6 per cent of the deceased had an underlying condition.