Official coronavirus cases in Greece reach 2,463; restrictions to be phased out gradually as of May

Speaking at the televised daily briefing, he added he was "sad to say that careless behavior has led to a resurgence of outbreaks." He said that most of the new outbreaks since Wednesday were at two health clinics, where "vigilance was not observed by health practitioners who are more sensitive" to the health threats.

He also said that health experts have decided to recommend people wearing a fabric face mask, but only in "public transport, supermarkets and pharmacies," while more specific instructions on the matter will be announced soon by the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC), he added. 

The professor also announced the daily statistics: 55 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Greece in the last 24 hours, and 4 new deaths. The Covid-19 infections total in Greece stands at 2,463.
Deaths stand at 125 since the start of the outbreak; 33 of them were women. Of the 125, a 90.4 pct had underlying health issues or their average age was 70 years or more. The average age of all the deceased was 74 years of age.

Some 52 patients are being treated in Intensive Care Units and 15 of these are women. An 85 pct of ICU patients have underlying health issues or are over 70 years of age. 

A total of 57 people have so far been discharged from ICUs.

Some 59,241 Covid-19 diagnostic tests have been carried out in Greece since the start of the outbreak. 

Measures lifted gradually as of May

Although the restriction measures to contain the Covid-19 pandemic are extended from April 27 to May 4, "the next phase will be the gradual return to normalcy," Civil Protection Deputy Minister for Crisis Management Nikos Hardalias said on Thursday.

During the daily briefing with infectious diseases professor Sotiris Tsiodras, Hardalias said that relaxing the measures would then proceed in two phases in May and June, in two-week increments.
He noted that every day remains difficult, referring indirectly to earlier events, when coronavirus cases were identified at private clinics in the south and western suburbs of Athens in the last 20 hours.

Among other updates, the minister noted that a section of the Roma community in Nea Smyrni, central Greece, and other areas in the region where coronavirus infections were located will continue to remain in lockdown until April 30.

In Thessaly, all open-air markets that were shut down will be able to operate as of Saturday (April 25), as the quarantine period will be completed. In addition, Mesopotamia community in northern Greece will complete its quarantine on Friday.

In Kranidi, the Argolid area, the second batch of tests taken (177) were all negative for coronavirus, but the area will keep its curfew. A coronavirus outbreak in a hotel hosting refugees in the area is on lockdown as of April 16.

The pandemic has been subsiding in Greece, he said, "but the war is not yet won."