The Greek prime minister, Kyriakos Mitsotakis, has blamed “complacency” for the country’s “significant rise” in coronavirus cases in recent days.
In a week deemed crucial for containing further transmission spread, the centre-right leader echoed the mounting concern of infectious disease experts over an abrupt increase in infections. Greek health officials registered 121 new coronavirus cases on Tuesday, the most since 22 April.
In comments made at the start of a teleconference call with health officials handling the response to the pandemic – and before a mini cabinet reshuffle – Mitsotakis appealed to what is seen as the Greeks’ particular sense of honour and pride, saying only 10% of cases had been traced to people entering the country.
“In recent days we have seen a significant rise in positive cases which essentially differs, however, from the first wave of the pandemic, and that, naturally, is something that troubles and worries us,” he said. “It must be said that the increase in cases is due mainly to the noted relaxation towards compliance measures within our country in July. And for that I believe we all bear a responsibility. Just 10% of cases are imported; most cases right now are domestic.”
The government has repeatedly warned it will re-introduce restrictions including local lockdowns if need be. Face coverings have been made compulsory in enclosed spaces, and officials have said masks must be worn in open-air decks on ferries as the country gears up for a mass exodus expected to occur before 15 August – the date of a major religious celebration in the Orthodox calendar.
Mitsotakis, who has only intermittently addressed Greeks on the issue of coronavirus, deferring at the height of the initial lockdown to scientists instead, urged citizens not to let down their guard, saying masks should be seen as “a constant companion”. He said face coverings must be donned not only in closed spaces but also outside in circumstances where it is impossible to maintain social distancing. “The mask should now become a constant companion, like our keys, our glasses, our mobile phone,” he added, before calling on Greeks to reject conspiracy theories doing the rounds debunking the efficacy of face coverings and other precautionary measures.
The abrupt rise – especially noticeable among younger people in recent weeks – has brought the total number of cases to 4,855, and epidemiologists have described the coming days as make-or-break for the country’s continued ability to keep the virus under control. A total of 209 people have died from Covid-19 related illnesses to date in Greece. Big social gatherings including religious festivals, weddings and baptisms have been linked to the sudden increase in infection rates.
