As of 6pm, local time, Athens:
# of confirmed cases: 966 (74 new cases since yesterday)
# of deaths: 28
# of people in hospital: 66
# of people tested: 13,477
Day 19 of staying home
In today’s 6pm live press briefing Health Ministry spokesman Sotiris Tsiodras and Deputy Civil Protection Minister Nikos Hardalias made more announcements. Some are summarized below.
Sotiris Tsiodras stated that the virus in Greece is on a controlled course, and the collective effort of the entire population is what is saving the national health system from overload. He affirmed that the future depends on all of us, and it is crucial that everyone stays home to stop the spread.
Nikos Hardalias said that the battle against the virus continues and will be difficult, and in order to protect ourselves, our families and friends the best thing we can do is follow the measures and stay home.
Yesterday, Greece received a donation of 11 tons of medical supplies from the United Arab Emirates, which arrived on an Etihad Airways flight.
In addition, Greece is expected to receive, during the next 24 hours, more supplies which will be transported on special flights.
Hardalias stressed that we cannot lose this war and the only way to win is for everyone to stay home to contain the spread.
When asked if the strict measures will be extended after April 6 and if even stricter measures will be announced, Hardalias commented that “all measures are on the table” and he cannot predict what will happen in the coming days and weeks, and if more measures will be introduced. He specified that the state is ready and has plans for handling every possible scenario.
***
A word about Dr Sotirios Tsiodras. He is a Professor of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases at the University of Athens Medical School & has served as an Infectious Diseases Specialist and Chief Scientist for the Greek CDC since 2002.
Dr. Tsiodras holds an MA in Medical Sciences from Harvard University Medical School, a PhD in Medicine from the University of Athens Medical School. He carried out his post doc training in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases at Harvard Medical School, and a Clinical Investigator fellowship at Harvard Medical School and the MIT Division of Health Sciences.
Since the beginning, every day at the 6pm live briefing, he updates the country on the progress of the fight against the coronavirus. He is an unassuming presence, seated behind the table, the microphone in front of him. He speaks clearly in a soft tone. Wire-rimmed glasses, grayish hair, always in a suit jacket. He looks down at his notes to read his statement and at times, seems self-conscious. He speaks with compassion when talking about protecting our elderly, our mothers and fathers. He said recently at an emotional briefing, ”we cannot exist or have an identity without them.”
He’s humble. He’s reassuring. He displays a sort of subtle strength. And with a 93% “approval rating”, he is Greece’s new hero.
This is a video from today’s 6pm briefing.
***
A survey of how Greeks view the pandemic has been carried out by Opinion Poll. Between 23-26 March, 1,095 households were contacted and answered a questionnaire.
Some of the results:
61.5% say they have never in their lives felt such fear
85% are satisfied with the decisions of the Mitsotakis government in regards to the pandemic response
90% agree with the closure of churches
95.7% agree that the ban on movement was necessary to contain the spread of the virus
64.8% believe that Greeks are more disciplined in comparison to other Europeans, (such as Italians, Spanish and French)
93% are satisfied by the daily briefings by officials, including Dr Sotirios Tsiodras
63.2% believe that the health system will not be able to handle an extreme increase in coronavirus cases
The entire poll can be found here, (in Greek).
So I guess you could say that most of us are scared witless, but at least we think that the government is taking all the right steps, and we’re all finding solace in our new national hero, Dr Tsiodras.
Onward, into the breach.
# of confirmed cases: 966 (74 new cases since yesterday)
# of deaths: 28
# of people in hospital: 66
# of people tested: 13,477
Day 19 of staying home
In today’s 6pm live press briefing Health Ministry spokesman Sotiris Tsiodras and Deputy Civil Protection Minister Nikos Hardalias made more announcements. Some are summarized below.
Sotiris Tsiodras stated that the virus in Greece is on a controlled course, and the collective effort of the entire population is what is saving the national health system from overload. He affirmed that the future depends on all of us, and it is crucial that everyone stays home to stop the spread.
Nikos Hardalias said that the battle against the virus continues and will be difficult, and in order to protect ourselves, our families and friends the best thing we can do is follow the measures and stay home.
Yesterday, Greece received a donation of 11 tons of medical supplies from the United Arab Emirates, which arrived on an Etihad Airways flight.
In addition, Greece is expected to receive, during the next 24 hours, more supplies which will be transported on special flights.
Hardalias stressed that we cannot lose this war and the only way to win is for everyone to stay home to contain the spread.
When asked if the strict measures will be extended after April 6 and if even stricter measures will be announced, Hardalias commented that “all measures are on the table” and he cannot predict what will happen in the coming days and weeks, and if more measures will be introduced. He specified that the state is ready and has plans for handling every possible scenario.
***
A word about Dr Sotirios Tsiodras. He is a Professor of Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases at the University of Athens Medical School & has served as an Infectious Diseases Specialist and Chief Scientist for the Greek CDC since 2002.
Dr. Tsiodras holds an MA in Medical Sciences from Harvard University Medical School, a PhD in Medicine from the University of Athens Medical School. He carried out his post doc training in Internal Medicine and Infectious Diseases at Harvard Medical School, and a Clinical Investigator fellowship at Harvard Medical School and the MIT Division of Health Sciences.
Since the beginning, every day at the 6pm live briefing, he updates the country on the progress of the fight against the coronavirus. He is an unassuming presence, seated behind the table, the microphone in front of him. He speaks clearly in a soft tone. Wire-rimmed glasses, grayish hair, always in a suit jacket. He looks down at his notes to read his statement and at times, seems self-conscious. He speaks with compassion when talking about protecting our elderly, our mothers and fathers. He said recently at an emotional briefing, ”we cannot exist or have an identity without them.”
He’s humble. He’s reassuring. He displays a sort of subtle strength. And with a 93% “approval rating”, he is Greece’s new hero.
This is a video from today’s 6pm briefing.
***
A survey of how Greeks view the pandemic has been carried out by Opinion Poll. Between 23-26 March, 1,095 households were contacted and answered a questionnaire.
Some of the results:
61.5% say they have never in their lives felt such fear
85% are satisfied with the decisions of the Mitsotakis government in regards to the pandemic response
90% agree with the closure of churches
95.7% agree that the ban on movement was necessary to contain the spread of the virus
64.8% believe that Greeks are more disciplined in comparison to other Europeans, (such as Italians, Spanish and French)
93% are satisfied by the daily briefings by officials, including Dr Sotirios Tsiodras
63.2% believe that the health system will not be able to handle an extreme increase in coronavirus cases
The entire poll can be found here, (in Greek).
So I guess you could say that most of us are scared witless, but at least we think that the government is taking all the right steps, and we’re all finding solace in our new national hero, Dr Tsiodras.
Onward, into the breach.
Comments