Greece's COVID-19 cases exceed 1,500, death toll climbs to 53
A municipal worker disinfects a street in Athens, Greece, on April 2, 2020. Greece reported on Thursday three more deaths linked to the COVID-19 in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 53 since the first confirmed case in the country was announced on Feb. 26. (Xinhua/Marios Lolos)
Greece reported on Thursday three more deaths linked to the novel coronavirus in the past 24 hours, bringing the total death toll to 53 since the first confirmed case in the country was announced on Feb. 26.
The number of confirmed infections rose to 1,514 on Thursday from 1,415 on Wednesday, officials told a regular press briefing at the Health Ministry.
Among the new cases were 23 in a refugee camp, an hour drive north of Athens and 119 people on board a Greek-owned ferry anchored off Piraeus port, they said.
More than 90 percent of the victims in Greece so far had underlying health issues and their average age was 72 years, the Health Ministry's spokesman and infectious diseases professor Sotirios Tsiodras noted.
Currently, 91 patients were hospitalized in intensive care units, while 18,844 diagnostic lab tests have been carried out nationwide, he added.
Tsiodras reiterated a call to citizens to keep social distancing as Greece will be facing the challenge "for several weeks ahead".
Greece is in a two-week lockdown since March 23 after gradually closing schools, universities, restaurants, cafeterias, retail shops, gyms, cultural centers, parks and all places of worship.
"April may prove decisive for the future," Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said while addressing the parliament during a session on the measures to address the coronavirus crisis.
The government tabled on Thursday a supplementary budget worth 5 billion euros (5.43 billion U.S. dollars) to finance economic support measures announced for enterprises and individuals hit by the pandemic.
Greece continued to strengthen measures to avoid the further spread of the virus on Thursday. Swimming at sea, fishing and water sports are now banned, according to an e-mailed press release issued by the Ministry of Shipping and Islands Policy.
Regarding travels, Greece has so far banned the flights of private aircrafts and helicopters, the sailing of cruise ships and yachts, and has suspended or restricted air, road, sea and train connections with many countries. (1 euro= 1.09 U.S. dollars) Enditem