Greek PM Urges Persistent Vigilance Against Covid-19

Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis

In an attempt to heighten awareness and encourage more vigilance in view of surging coronavirus cases in Greece, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis held an inter-ministerial tele-conference on Wednesday, after which he urged Greeks to demonstrate caution and keep to hygiene measures.

“We must reactivate our ‘national vaccine’, which is none other than abiding by the measures indicated to us by the experts,” he said, adding that the government had in the last month introduced 15 targeted measures to address the resurgence of the virus.

Referring to the rise in Covid-19 cases, Mitsotakis admitted that though they differed from the first wave, health experts were increasingly concerned.

Backing infectious diseases professor and health ministry spokesperson Sotiris Tsiodras, who spoke on Tuesday, Mitsotakis said the increase in infections was in large part due to failure by many people to adhere to hygiene and social distancing measures in July, underling yet again the importance of wearing a mask, which is now mandatory in all public spaces.

“Only 10 percent of the cases are imported, most infections right now are domestic,” he said, stressing that authorities had underlined that lifting lockdowns and allowing movement in April in no way meant return to pre-Covid normalcy.

Photo Source: @EODY

“Normalcy as we knew it before February and until the scientific community discovers the coveted vaccine, but also the necessary treatment protocols, does not exist. That is why complacency is not justified,” he said.

Greek authorities have decided to further boost Covid-19 testing and tighten measures in areas where the epidemiological conditions require.

According to statistics on arrivals, the government confirms that the major problem at the moment is not the positive cases found in foreigners but Covid’s spread locally particularly in Thessaloniki and Northern Greece, where the borders are.

Earlier this week, Mitsotakis ruled out a second full lockdown.