Covid cases rise in Greece again

Athens, March 4 : Greek officials activated an emergency plan to support the healthcare system in the country — and in the Attica region particularly — in response to a steep spike in confirmed Covid-19 cases.
The National Public Health Organization (EODY) confirmed 2,702 new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, a negative record for 2021, Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias told a televised press conference on Wednesday, Xinhua news agency reported.
Public hospitals are under enormous pressure to cope with increased admissions, especially in the Attica region where half of Greece’s population lives, he explained.
Currently in Attica 289 of the 319 intensive care unit beds available for Covid-19 patients and 1,528 out of the 2,112 beds in ordinary hospital rooms are occupied, he said.
Since Tuesday, 394 new coronavirus patients have been admitted to hospitals nationwide, hence the government’s emergency plan.
Two big private hospitals in Athens will now operate as part of the public health system treating non-Covid-19 cases to ease the pressure on state hospitals, while private clinics will also offer services to further support the system, Kikilias said.