A return to working from home for both private and public companies, stricter crowd control measures, and the quarantine of asymptomatic vulnerable groups such as migrants who have tested positive for the novel coronavirus were some of the emergency measures introduced on Friday afternoon by the government.
Following a rise in coronavirus infections particularly in the center of Athens, and an attendant rise in hospitalizations, Deputy Minister for Civil Protection and Crisis Management Nikos Hardalias said that the measures would go into effect on Monday, September 21 and last through October 4.
Citing statistical figures, Hardalias said that since the outbreak of the pandemic in Greece on February 25, there have been 14,400 people infected by the virus. Of these, 4,084 cases are active to the present day. Furthermore, over 50 pct of these (2,100) are located in the Attica region, with 263 hospitalized and 1,837 quarantined at home. Of these 2,100 Attica residents, the minister daid, 966 live in the municipality of Athens.
A daily rate of 3 new confirmed cases per 100,000 residents places Attica in the "orange alert" state, Hardalias said, with a steadily rising incidence. The highest rate of infections are noted in the following three groups: private sector employees (29.07 pct), retirees (13.43 pct) and unemployed (13.27 pct).
He then announced the new measures, as follows:
- Indoor and outdoor gatherings are limited to 9 people, except for areas already regulated, such as restaurants
- Indoor and outdoor concerts are suspended, as are indoor film screenings
- Baptisms, weddings and funerals may have a maximum of 20 people in attendance
- People from vulnerable groups such as migrants who have tested positive to the virus but are asymptomatic will be transferred to hotels and be under medical care there
- 40 pct of private and public business employees must work from home
- Public sector employees must arrive at and depart from work in three stages (at 7:00, 8:00 and 9:00 a.m.)
- Private sector companies must do the same, but at four stages
- People 65 or older must limit their social outings for 14 days, and their contacts to immediate family members
Hardalias said that the National Public Health Organization (EODY) will conduct rapid testing for the virus at schools, public transportation and hospitals. The public should observe three preventative measures to help the effort to control infections, he said: avoiding public gatherings; use a mask on public transportation; and be more vigilant if they belong to older age groups.
Speaking earlier, novel coronavirus health committee spokesman Gkikas Magiorkinis said that infections in Attica almost doubled the last two weeks, with the center of Athens being particularly loaded. The rate of intubations also doubled, in less than two weeks.
Referring to the new hotspot in Kara Tepe on Lesvos, where migrants and refugees were relocated after the burndown of Moria, Magiorkinis said that over 4,500 tests were carried out there and continuing in the local population as well. So far, 187 people have tested positive, he said.
Earlier in the day, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis and Health Ministry representative for the novel coronavirus Sotiris Tsiodras had warned that additional measures would be announced the same day for the region of Attica.
In a tweet summarizing the government's concerns, Mitsotakis said, "It's obvious there is a coronavirus issue in Attica which must be dealt with. We are prepared, following a related recommendation by the [Health] committee to take additional [preventative] measures. I am calling on older Greeks in particular to be doubly careful."
They both stressed that despite a rise in intubated patients in hospitals, the National Health System was not facing ICU bed shortages.
The current numbers they cited include 554 hospitalized people, occupying between 20 pct and 30 pct of hospital beds, Tsiodras said.

Friday's numbers

Greece registered 339 new coronavirus cases in the last 24 hours, as announced at the live briefing on the pandemic held on Friday.  
Of these, 64 were traced to known sources and 39 were identified at the country's entry points.
All cases since the pandemic reached Greece total 14,738 (55.7 pct are men). Of these, 2,541 are linked to travel abroad and 6,191 to already identified cases.
A total of 71 people are intubated. Their median age is 69 years old, 20 are women and 87.3 percent of the total have an underlying condition or are aged 70 or more. Since the start of the pandemic, 177 have been discharged from ICUs.
In addition, 2 deaths were registered on Friday, bringing the fatality total to 327. Of the deceased, 122 are women. The median age of all is 78 and 96.6 pct had an underlying condition and/or age of 70 years or more.

Gov't adding ICU beds for Covid-19 in Attica hospitals

The rise in coronavirus-related hospitalizations in recent days has prompted the government to increase the number of beds in intensive care units (ICUs), Deputy Health Minister Vassilis Kontozamanis said on Friday. 
Speaking at a meeting with other officials that introduced new emergency measures to moderate a spike in infections in Attica the past two weeks, Kontozamanis said that Greece currently has 931 operational beds in ICUs, with 778 of these in the National Health System hospitals, 32 in military hospitals and the remainder in private hospitals.
Of the 931 beds, 603 are currently occupied. In total, 692 are designated for patients with other than coronavirus ailments, while 239 are specifically for Covid-19 patients. Of the specially designated 239, those currently occupied number 91, he revealed.
In Attica specifically, of a total 337 beds in ICUs in general, 209 beds are currently occupied by non-coronavirus patients. Attica has 89 ICU beds for Covid-19 patients, of which 59 are already occupied.
The government is putting into force a plan to expand the ICU capacity for Covid-19 patients in Attica hospitals as follows: 10 beds in "Sotiria" hospital, 4 in the NIMTS hospital, and by the ned of next week another 24 beds distributed to special ICUs in "Asklipio", "Attikon" and elsewhere, Kontozamanis said.