The Greek Health Ministry’s coronavirus spokesman and infectious diseases professor Sotiris Tsiodras took to Greek national television again for what has been a daily appearance, announcing new statistics.
Tsiodras announced 56 new confirmed cases of Covid-19 in Greece in the last 24 hours and 5 new deaths, and said this brings the country’s total to 1,212 confirmed infections and 43 deaths.
From those who have died since the start of the outbreak, 32 were men and 11 were women, 90 pct had underlying health issues and their average age was over 70 years of age.
Some 72 patients are being treated in Intensive Care Units, of whom 14 are women. The average age of ICU patients is 65 years, and more than half of these suffer from underlying health issues. A total of 5 people have been discharged from ICUs so far.
Tsiodras added that some 15,961 diagnostic lab tests have so far been carried out in Greece.
Civil Protection Deputy Minister for Crisis Management Minister Nikos Hardalias also shared statistics about the government’s efforts to keep Greeks home with the mandatory curfew.
He said that 4,697 people in the last three days were checked in public to ensure they had the necessary paperwork to be outdoors and only 22 were found to have violated their curfews and fined.
Speaking of the upcoming Orthodox Easter on April 19, the minister said that “this Easter will be different- we will not go to our villages, we will not roast a lamb on a spit, and we will not go to church.”
In the meantime, numerous wealthy Greek families and institutions are stepping up to support their nation’s health sector.
Pharmaceutical companies have donated tens of millions of euros in medicine and supplies to state-run hospitals and companies are donating services, supplies and other products critical to the government’s efforts.
Theodoros and Gianna Angelopoulos announced a €1 million gift to Greece’s Institute of Pharmaceutical Research and Technology, which is leading efforts in the country on Coronavirus infection prevention.
Additional gifts if €1 million from the Pavlos and Alexandra Kanellopoulos Foundation and Panagiotis and Giorgos Angelopoulos have also been given to the Greek state.
The Onassis Foundation announced a donation of 13.5 million masks to support Greek health workers in hospitals. The value of the masks is almost €8 million.
In an announcement the Foundation said the gift was a “thank you” to the medical and nursing staff of the country for their vital work.
“United, even from a distance we will make it. We stay at home but we don’t stay away,” said the Foundation’s announcement.
