COVID-19 Committee brainstorms ahead of expected Delta variant tempest

The National Committee on COVID-19 is meeting today in one of its most critical sessions as the scientific community in Greece and globally grapples with possible measures and strategies for coping with the furious spread of the virus's extremely transmissible Delta variant.

With the government having ruled out any sort of national lockdown, the experts will try to sort out the mechanics of prospective local lockdowns (the possibility has already been announced) based on local or regional epidemiological data.

Measures on the table

One of the conundrums the Committee faces is safety in inter-city mass transit (KTEL inter-city buses, aeroplanes, and trains) and here it appears to be veering toward a mandatory COVID-19 rapid or PCR test in the last 48 hours before travel begins.

This measure is already in place for visitors to islands, but enforcing it across-the-board poses logistical difficulties, as it presupposes road blocks and checks at tolls, a daunting if not impossible task.

A number of experts back mandatory use of masks both indoors and outdoors only in places with a notable surge in cases.

The worst-case scenario

Naturally, the Committee will have to review the worst-case scenario if transmission spins out of control.

The approach here would include a package of measures including local restrictions on movement and banning music at restaurants, bars, and cafes (the ban has already been enforced but was lifted recently).

Daily tourist season epidemiological monitoring

Members of the COVID-19 Committee and the government are, of course, already monitoring the epidemiological data nationwide.

Warning signals from Professor of Epidemiology...