Panagiotis Arkoumaneas

Panagiotis Arkoumaneas submitted his resignation from the presidency of the National Public Health Organization (EODY) today, Saturday.

Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is convening an emergency meeting of key government officials on Tuesday to discuss concerns about a spike in coronavirus cases in the Greek capital and recommendations for a hard lockdown similar to that imposed last spring.

A total of 403 cases of the new UK variant of Covid-19 have been registered in Greece so far, Panagiotis Arkoumaneas, president of the National Organization for Public Health (EODY), has said, while not ruling out the prospect of another full national lockdown to contain infections.

The National Organization for Public Health (EODY) has confirmed 59 cases of a new variant of the novel coronavirus that has been sweeping through Britain and other parts of Europe in recent weeks, and is believed to be more transmissible and dangerous than the prevalent strain, the president of the Greek agency said on Tuesday.

Amid global concern over the emergence of mutated strains of the coronavirus, the Health Ministry in Athens has announced the creation of a nationwide network for the systematic monitoring of these variants.

Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias announced on Friday that the ministry will establish a nationwide surveillance and alert network to monitor mutated strains of SARS-CoV-2.

This will create more accurate epidemiological data that will help the government make better decisions for the protection of public health, Kikilias said after a meeting on the issue at the ministry.

A total of 26 cases of the new Covid-19 variant have been registered in Greece so far, Panagiotis Arkoumaneas, president of the National Public Organization Health (EODY), said on Friday.

The figure was made public as Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias held an emergency meeting with epidemiology experts at the Health Ministry to discuss how the new strain can be contained.

Greek health officials will meet on Friday to discuss how to contain the new coronavirus variants.

Health workers started vaccinating elderly care home residents against the novel coronavirus on Monday in the next phase of Greece's inoculation campaign launched 10 days ago.

A 98-year-old survivor of Auschwitz, Ms Zana, was the first resident of a Thessaloniki nursing home to get the Covid-19 jab on Tuesday, as teams from the National Public Health Organization (EODY) started vaccinating elderly care unit residents in the northern port city.