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“In the spring, Greece was considered a model country to deal with the pandemic. But now the cases are skyrocketing. How did the situation get out of control?” Asks the website of the Handelsblatt newspaper in response to Gert Heller of Athens titled “Greece is facing a state of emergency due to coronavirus.”
The financial newspaper observes: “The country has been blocked for two weeks. Catering and retail stores are closed, traffic is prohibited from 9 pm to 5 pm and SMS must be sent to travel. Restrictive measures are dragging the country every Again to the crisis Since the first case was reported in Greece last February, the government has strengthened the health system by doubling the number of beds in intensive care units from 557 to 1,220.
At the same time, thousands of doctors and nurses were hired. But the beds are almost sold out. Especially in northern Greece, where the virus is spreading rapidly, the healthcare system has reached its limits. Last Friday there were only 8 free beds in the intensive care unit in Thessaloniki. In reaction, the Ministry of Health proceeded to order two private hospitals, which will begin to treat people with coronavirus from Monday.
Thousands of store owners are threatened with bankruptcy
The imperative shows how dramatic the situation is, continues the financial newspaper. Experts attribute the outbreak in early October to the recklessness of many young people who did not keep their distance at parties and discos. Meanwhile, the situation is out of control. When 3,000 new cases are registered daily, follow-up is almost impossible.
The pandemic has dramatic consequences for the Greek economy, which has been hit hard by the crisis in recent years. If the market does not move during the summer after the decline in tourism in the summer, thousands of merchants and restaurant owners are threatened with bankruptcy. Finance Minister Christos Staikouras was forced to correct Greece’s projected recession rate this year from 8.2% to 10.5%. Projected growth for next year was also adjusted and decreased from an initial 7.5% to 4.8%. “
Source: dw.com
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