Greek authorities expressed concern on Monday after an increase in the number of new cases of Covid-19 in the country, which is about to start its tourist season in a week.
Anyone who believes that we have got rid of the virus is wrong
, warned the Minister of Citizen Protection, Nikos Hardalias.
Be vigilant and follow measures to prevent the spread of the virus
, he told the media.
The ministry announced 97 new cases of the Covid-19 on Monday and two deaths since Thursday.
Almost a third of these 97 new cases involve travelers from abroad, according to a ministerial statement.
Return of tourists in a week
From June 15, the two main airports in Athens and Thessaloniki (north) are authorized to welcome visitors from around 30 countries, mostly from the European Union, the country’s main customers, marking the start of the tourist season.
Regional airports are scheduled to open on July 1.
The total number of deaths from Covid-19 since the pandemic began in the country in late February stands at 182 people and the number of cases at 3,049, according to the ministry.
Among the 97 new cases identified, twenty-nine people tested positive in the department of Xanthi in the north-east of the country, a region already affected by the virus in April.
Resumption of daily bulletins
The ministry announced the resumption of the publication of the daily report on the situation of Covid-19 in the country, stopped last week because there were only less than five new cases per day.
The deconfinement in Greece began gradually on May 4 after six weeks of strict traffic restrictions and heavy fines.
For the past two weeks bars and cafes have reopened in the country, but social distancing measures are little respected.
Last weekend, the authorities had to close a bar on the cosmopolitan island of Mykonos in the Cyclades for two months, where social distancing had not been respected by imposing a fine of € 20,000 on the owner.
The president of the doctors’ union, Athanassios Exadaktylos, has warned against further restrictive measures if the recommendations on the wearing of masks and on social distancing are not respected, in an interview on public television Ert.
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