Coronavirus: less than 1 Rt, but some areas dangerously “blush”, where a total blockade is considered

On the table is the possibility of imposing a total blockade at the local level, in 12 areas where the epidemiological burden shows no signs of improvement, in an effort to create barriers so as not to create a third wave of coronavirus.

The good news announced by EODY for the reduction of the virus transmission rate in the Greek territory, the Rt decreased below 1 and specifically to 0.86, overshadows the strong increase in cases in some areas, a fact that alarms the government and experts.

Determined not to allow the virus to spread again and create new outbreaks, they warn of a total lockdown by “excluding” dangerous areas if the epidemiological picture does not improve.

The signal for the imposition of tougher measures in areas with a strong epidemiological burden was first given by government spokesman Stelios Petsas, with Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias addressing recommendations for strict compliance with the measures and warning about stricter measures in non-compliant regions. for the course of the pandemic.

“If epidemiological data deteriorates, all measures for all regions will be reevaluated,” the minister said.

More strict is the Minister of Civil Protection, Michalis Chrysochoidis, who clarified that “no one can shake his head”, warning that “if necessary, even the houses will be sealed.”

“I don’t have much to say, in fact I only have one thing to say: no one can shake their head. Otherwise the areas will be sealed, even from house to house. It is not a threat or a warning. It is a decision and it will be made if necessary, ”said Mr. Chrysochoidis.

The 12 areas of concern

Specifically, most of the cases are found in Thessaloniki, Kilkis, Xanthi, Pieria, Drama, Kozani, Grevena, Pella, Larissa, Rodopi and West Attica and especially in Aspropyrgos and Elefsina.

On the table of specialists in infectious diseases there are suggestions for stricter restrictive measures in prefectures with a large epidemiological burden since, through confinement, the number of deaths and intubations remains high.

Ten times more cases in West Attica

“In areas like Aspropyrgos, Elefsina and other places there are ten times more cases than other areas of Attica with almost the same population. Many are due to people of predominantly Russian or Roma descent who do not take occupational health measures, attend large family gatherings, and show no care. “Unfortunately, in these areas and in special cases, we can take measures as before in Larissa or elsewhere, with the exclusion even of houses or areas, to prevent the spread of the disease,” says the senior official of the Ministry of Civil Protection that monitors pandemic control measures.

According to current EODY data, West Attica has 22.37 cases in a population sample of 100,000 inhabitants, when this number is 7.1 infections in the same number of inhabitants of the northern sector (Maroussi, Chalandri, Agios Paraskevi, Vrilissia and other places) Athena’s.

In the western sector of Athens (Peristeri, Egaleo, Saint Petersburg, Ilion and elsewhere) this number is 10.82 new institutions per 100,000 inhabitants and in Piraeus it is 11.58.

Indicative of the concern caused by these developments was the immediate mobilization with Minister Michalis Chrysochoidis participating today in an extensive meeting on the coronavirus with all relevant officials in West Attica.

The situation is dire in Kozani and Western Attica

During the briefing, the Health Minister described the situation in Kozani and West Attica as serious, with the course of the pandemic in these areas being the subject of a special meeting of infectious disease specialists.

All measures will be re-evaluated depending on epidemiological data, especially in heavily affected areas, said Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias.

“We want to defend the effort and effort of all these weeks that our fellow citizens have made and therefore, and if the epidemiological data deteriorates, all measures will be re-evaluated according to the epidemiological indicators and data.”

The epidemiological panorama of the country

It is recalled that today EODY announced 1,190 cases, of which 281 were located in Attica and 270 in Thessaloniki.

The center of Athens appears to be “boiling” from the 281 cases, most were located in the Central Sector of Athens with 58 cases and in the Western Sector of Attica with 53.

In particular, according to EODY

• THE Northern sector of Athens has 42 cases (average of cases of the last 7 days 22.86)
• THE Western sector of Athens has 53 cases (average of cases of the last 7 days 29.86)
• THE Athens central sector has 58 cases (average of cases in the last 7 days 44)
• THE Southern sector of Athens It has 13 cases (average of cases of the last 7 days 12.86).

The distribution of new cases in detail:

• 17 cases during controls carried out at the country’s entry gates

• 3 imported cases that came voluntarily for analysis

• 281 cases in the Attica region

• 270 cases in PE Thessaloniki

• 6 cases in PE Etoloakarnania

• 4 cases in PE De Arcadia

• 2 cases in PE Arta

• 25 cases in PE From acaya

• 5 cases in PE Βοιωτίας

• 3 cases in PE Grevena

• 15 cases in PE Drama

• 40 cases in PE Evros

• 5 cases in PE De Evia

• 4 cases in PE Evritania

• 1 case in PE Zakynthos

• 3 cases in PE De ilia

• 21 cases in PE Imathia

• 9 cases in PE Heraklion

• 1 case in PE Thesprotia

• 1 case in PE Ioannina

• 37 cases in PE Kavala

• 20 cases in PE Karditsa

• 3 cases in PE Kastoria

• 2 cases in PE Corfu

• 22 cases in PE Kilkis

• 60 cases in PE Kozani

• 6 cases in PE Corinto

• 3 cases in PE Laconia

• 38 cases in PE De Larissa

• 12 cases in PE Lesbos

• 79 cases in PE Magnesia

• 27 cases in PE Xanthi

• 18 cases in PE Pella

• 23 cases in PE Pieria

• 22 cases in PE Rodopi

• 28 cases in PE Serres

• 1 case in PE Sporades

• 27 cases in PE Trikala

• 9 cases in PE Fthiotida

• 14 cases in PE Florina

• 6 cases in PE De Halkidiki

• 4 cases in PE Chania

• 7 cases in PE Chios

6 cases are under investigation

Possible tougher measures

According to government spokesman Stelios Petsas, the possibility of tightening the measures is not open only to areas of northern Greece, which have also paid the highest price in human lives.

“We have noticed all this time that in some regional units or the cases do not fall as much as we would like, or they go down slowly or we have small flares from time to time.”

“In such areas, if cases remain high and the pressure on hospitals remains high, then we will have no choice but to take even tougher measures for a certain period of time,” he said, referring to the possible abolition of existing provisions. . such as click away retail operations, traffic ban hours, operation of some health interest stores, etc.

In statements ar / s “Parapolitika”, Mr. Petsas ruled out the possibility of easing the measures until January 7 since, as he explained, “relaxation would be a wrong sign in what we have before us to face. We have a risk “The danger is that we will unleash a third wave, which is very dangerous.”

The issue of the implementation of measures against the new coronavirus as well as the problems facing the regions of Western Attica were discussed during a meeting in the Elefsina Subregion in which the Minister of Citizen Protection Michalis Chrysochoidis participated.

300,000 vaccines in the first phase

In 2020, the first vaccines, even symbolic ones, will be carried out in our country, as revealed to Mega by government spokesman Stelios Petsas. The initial quantity of vaccines that Greece will receive will be less than initially expected, since Pfizer has already proceeded to redesign the production and distribution of its preparation. In January, as everything indicates, 150,000 of our fellow citizens will be vaccinated out of the 300,000 doses of vaccines that will arrive in Greece.

Vaccination against the coronavirus is expected to start a week earlier, following the acceleration of procedures by European regulatory authorities. However, the initial number of vaccines that our country will receive will be much lower than expected.

With the approval of the Pfizer vaccine, Greece would receive 500,000 doses of the vaccine. Instead, you will get a little over 300,000. As the vaccine requires two doses, it appears that more than 150,000 people will not be able to get vaccinated in January.

According to the government spokesman, the problem is European. A few days ago it was learned that Pfizer due to problems in the production of the vaccine will distribute 50 and not 100 million doses, as estimated.