On coronavirus lockdown government uses stick in April, carrot in May

The return to normalcy must be cautious, gradual and controlled health ministry spokesman Sotiris Tsiodras said today amid reports of a planned loosening of measures in early May.

Straight on the heels of PM Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ televised address in which urged Greek to obey lockdown measures in this crucial lead up to Greek Easter, Tsiodras urged the public not to allow the positive data on the spread of the virus in Greece to lead to complacency.

That, he said, could easily lead to a sudden and rapid spread of coronavirus.

Tsiodras said that the low number of Covid-19 cases in Greece suggests that there is a low level of immunity in the general population.

Infectious Diseases Professor Sotiris Tsiodras urged citizens to obey a strict ban on travel from cities to provinces as such travel will expose unaffected populations to the virus.

He urged citizens to monitor their health, observe safety measures, and isolate themselves upon the slightest symptom «even a sore throat should be reported,” he underlined.

Death toll surpasses 100, 25 newly confirmed cases

Tsiodras announced that two more deaths in hospital and 25 additional Covid-19 cases have been confirmed in the last 24 hours.
The death toll has risen to 101, of whom 27 were women.

He said 89 percent of the victims either had underlying health problem or were over 70 years old.

As for the 76 patients currently being treated in ICU’s the average age is 68 years and only 17 are women. Most are over 70.

Tsiodras said 48,798 coronavirus diagnostic tests have been performed in Greece.

Easter crash test

This week is «the most critical of all» in terms of containing the spread of coronavirus said Deputy Minister for Civil Protection Nikos Hardalias.

«This week will determine whether restrictive measures will need to be be extended,» Hardalias said.

He urged the public to faithfully observe the lockdown ahead of Greek Orthodox Easter on April 19.

«We will not visit relatives’ homes, nor will the entire neighborhood gather on rooftops or at apartment building entrances – it is extremely dangerous.»
He also noted that cemeteries would remain shut on Good Friday, a day when family members traditionally pay their respects to the dead.

Xanthi tests negative

Over 300 members of the Roma community in Drosero and Zopiro near Xanthi, a prefecture described as «carrying a heavy epidemiological load», were tested after a 15-month-old girl was hospitalised with Covid-19 symptoms.

All 326  tested negative for coronavirus.