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Majority of 153 new Covid cases in Attica, Thessaloniki

Majority of 153 new Covid cases in Attica, Thessaloniki

The National Organization for Public Health (EODY) on Thursday confirmed 153 new cases of Covid-19, of which 40 were in the region of Attica and its islands and 38 in the northern port city of Thessaloniki, pointing to the impact of lax attitudes toward physical distancing and mask-wearing.

The new cases bring the nationwide total since the start of the pandemic to 5,123, while the number of patients in intensive care also rose on Thursday from 13 to 14, though the death toll remained stable at 210.

Eighteen of the new cases concerned travelers coming or returning from abroad, while an outbreak at a wedding in Alexandroupoli in northern Greece last month resulted in four more people becoming infected.

Including Attica and Thessaloniki, the number of regions affected rose to 20, from 18 on Wednesday, confirming fears that the novel coronavirus is not only spreading faster but also further.

During a press briefing on Thursday, government spokesman Stelios Petsas said that there are three main areas of concern.

The first, he said, regards ethnic Greeks and others making frequent trips to and from the Balkans, “as though there is nothing wrong, ignoring the epidemic outbreaks in those countries.”

The second cause of the sudden increase observed in recent days, Petsas added, appears to be crowding at bars and big social events, while public transportation is the third.

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