Several European countries have been badly hit by the novel coronavirus pandemic, but Greece took action early on and it seems to be working.

This report from CNN is the latest of positive news reports about Greece’s efforts to prevent the widespread infection and death rate in the country.

In a damning comparison to the U.S. response in dealing with the pandemic, Robert Mackey wrote in The Intercept that “In Greece, for example, the nation is briefed at 6 p.m. each evening by Dr. Sotirios Tsiodras, an unassuming professor of medicine who studied infectious diseases at Harvard and now leads the Greek government’s coronavirus task force. Tsiodras, often reading from his notes, has been credited with helping to rally the nation to quickly accept a national lockdown that has, so far, been more successful than most, largely by presenting the science in a calm, rational voice of authority.”

Numerous other news channels like Bloomberg and Al Jazeera also praised Greece for flattening the curve of new cases in the country.

Bloomberg columnist Ferdinando Giugliano also took various countries to task for their responses, calling Greece a “noticeable — and perhaps surprising — exception.”

“The COVID-19 epidemic has exposed poor leadership and governance worldwide,” Giugliano wrote. “From Spain to the U.K. to the U.S., politicians have waited far too long before taking the dramatic steps needed to protect their citizens.”

“Greece has been one noticeable — and perhaps surprising — exception to this trend. The government imposed severe social distancing measures at a much earlier stage of the epidemic than other southern European countries. For now, this swift reaction has helped Greece avoid the tragic healthcare crisis that richer states are facing.”

CNN’s Lynda Kinkade reports