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The exacerbated epidemic situation in many areas of Greece, especially Attica, creates an explosive cocktail, in combination with the economic suffocation caused by the closure of vital economic activities, such as catering and retail.
Scientists and government officials now have a completely different health map of the country, dominated by bright red colors that indicate that the pandemic has not stopped.
In fact, in Athens, for the umpteenth day, the number of cases not only shows that the second dose of the strict restrictive measures has not yet delivered what was expected, but that the new mutated strains of the virus are gaining more and more ground.
But deadlines are tight and the economy’s bleeding margins – through the imposed quarantine – can no longer be extended because the chances of recovery will now be sublime.
With just over 6% of the population vaccinated, a percentage that alone does not provoke complacency, the government is seriously considering opening stores and businesses in the first ten days of March, recovering the retail trade, but taking into account the increase in coronavirus patients. in hospitals, the filling of beds in the ICU, the center of Athens that “boils.”
There now appear to be 5,500 active cases in the city and more patients are diagnosed with the British mutation every day. On the last day, 247 patients were admitted to Attica hospitals, a figure that only generates optimism due to the lifting of the quarantine on February 28.
Many people are tired of quarantine and it has driven hundreds of thousands of entrepreneurs to despair. In some areas, such as Kordelio, residents took to the streets to protest the quarantine imposed.
“There are 12 cases of South African mutation within our municipality, so the blockade was carried out.” Epidemiologically we are lower, we have fewer cases, but there is an increase in the new executive that must be addressed at the beginning, “said the mayor of Kordelio – Evosmos, Kleanthis Mandalianos.
Mr. Mandalianos expressed his complaint that the municipal authority should have been informed in a longer time about the cases and the epidemiological situation, while regarding the reactions that exist on the part of citizens and businessmen, he added that “people are irritated and upset and the Commercial “Our club complained, because it is on the verge of disaster.”
Most of the infections in the prefecture of Attica are located in the center of Athens, in Peristeri, Ilion, Kifissia, Maroussi and Salamina. On Saturday morning, the Minister of Health called an extraordinary meeting to handle the situation in the Intensive Care Units, since the next 15 days are considered critical.
Of the 43,310 tests, 1,424 new cases were identified. In Attica the cases were 680. 23 people died. Infectious Diseases Professor Charalambos Gogos expressed concern about the epidemiological situation in the country, but also hope that things will improve in the future.
“We do not know how much it will cost. Epidemiologically we are not very well at the moment. In Attica we have a stabilization. But the problem is the burden, which pushes the Health System, especially in Attica and Patras.” However, as Gogos highlighted, ” the system is enduring at this time. There is the cushion to open new units. But we don’t want to get there. “
The government says that March is the month in which we will leave the blockade behind and welcome the start of some activities again. This, as noted, will happen on the one hand if the epidemiological data allow it and mainly the spread of the British variant strain, and on the other hand of the situation in the ICU.
For the second part, the Ministry of Health has already implemented its ICU decompression plan, creating within the hospitals 160 additional beds for the treatment of coronavirus cases and 30 intensive care beds (ICU) for critical patients with Covid.
At the same time, private clinics are expected to enter the fray, receiving non-covid cases from transport hospitals, which are already under suffocating pressure.
So if we don’t see an increase in hospitalizations and cases next week, then the countdown to market and school openings is very likely to begin. 
Athanasios Exadaktylos, president of the Panhellenic Medical Association, left open the possibility of resuming some activities as of March 1, while for his part, the Minister of State, George Gerapetritis, stressed that the government’s objective is to open schools such as the date.
As he said, “within the week we will see a stabilization and a reduction in cases towards the end of the week. Possibly from March 1 there will be a reopening of some activities. The UCI will decide on the lifting of the measures.”
However, in terms of trips outside the prefecture and trips, he explained that we have not reached this point of immunity of the population with the vaccine, so the movements of vaccinated people from county to prefecture can begin. 
Regarding the celebration of Easter, he clarified that it will not be like last year when the bells did not ring, but not like the day before yesterday when the reports showed flooding in the churches but we will move somewhere in between.
“If there is an adequacy of vaccines and with the expected dose increase, we will finish much faster,” said Mr. Exadaktylos.
Likewise, the Minister of State, George Gerapetritis, stressed, in statements to ANT1, that on March 1, if the situation with the cases stabilizes, there will be a gradual opening. 
“We will follow the instructions of infectious disease specialists to open stores and schools,” he said characteristically. Especially for schools, he stressed that the need to open them is not only related to the educational part, but there are also psychological issues for students.
In any case, experts have repeatedly stressed that the measures taken are dynamic, as the virus often spreads uncontrollably.
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