Greece confirmed 5,449 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, with 18 of these identified at entry points to the country, the National Public Health Organization (EODY) said on Monday.

Since the pandemic began, Greece has confirmed 747,595 infections (daily change: +0.7 pct). Of the confirmed cases of the last 7 days, 143 infections are related to travel from abroad and 2,662 to other confirmed cases.

There are also 52 deaths recorded in the last 24 hours, bringing the total of pandemic victims to 15,990. Of these, 95.4 pct had an underlying condition and/or were aged 70 or over.

A total of 430 patients are on ventilators in hospitals. Their median age is 65 years and 80.2 pct have an underlying condition and/or are aged 70 or over. Of the total, 364 (84.65 pct) are unvaccinated or partly vaccinated and 66 (15.35 pct) are fully vaccinated. Another 3,316 have been discharged from ICUs since the pandemic began.

In addition, 249 Covid-19 patients were admitted to hospital in the last 24 hours (daily change: -22.91 pct). The average admission of patients with Covid-19 to hospitals over the last 7 days was 277.

The median age of new infections is 39 years (range: 0.2 to 106 years), while the median age of the deceased is 78 (range: 0.2 to 106 years).

Tsipras: PM solely responsible for political failure to control pandemic

The sudden rise in coronavirus infections is an exclusive political responsibility of Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, SYRIZA-Progressive Alliance leader Alexis Tsipras said on Monday.

Speaking at the Political Center emergency meeting he convened, the main opposition leader charged Mitsotakis with refusal to collaborate with Syriza.

According to party sources, Tsipras said, “The new pandemic wave coming on strongly with the country unprepared once again, two years after the pandemic’s outbreak, is the political responsibility of Kyriakos Mitsotakis.” The government had two years in which to prepare the National Health System, he said, “but did not do it.”

In addition, Tsipras said, “It is the third time in a year we have offered to help with a proposal of a minimum consensus, to have scientists of joint acceptance manage the pandemic, without operating on the basis of political cost.” But Mitsotakis rejected this, he said, “confirming his arrogance and lack of understanding over the critical times,” which indicates that “he is solely responsible politically for the current situation and for whatever lies ahead in the hard winter ahead.”