Sotiris Tsiodras

The Greek government is stepping up measures to tackle the possible arrival in the country of the new, or "novel" coronavirus, now called 2019-nCoV, as experts warn that it could reach the country within the next three weeks. 

A coronavirus known to live in bats is the closest strain of the 2019-nCoV virus that first appeared in China's Wuhan region and has since spread to other parts of Asia, with cases reported in Europe, Australia and North America, a study by Greek scientists at Athens University and the University of Crete has revealed.

More than 700 cases of measles have been registered at hospitals across the country, mainly in Attica, since May this year, according to the latest data released by health authorities.