Sotiris Tsiodras

Interview with George Gilson

Mobile units of the National Organization for Public Health (EODY) will conduct rapid antigen tests in large industrial units in the northern regions of Xanthi, Drama, Pella, Florina, Pieria and Imathia in the coming days, amid concerns about the spread of the coronavirus.

Despite the expectations of health experts, coronavirus cases and deaths remained high on Tuesday, putting discussions about a gradual easing of the lockdown on hold.

Greek health authorities were concerned on Thursday after the National Organization of Public Health (EODY) announced five fatalities related to the coronavirus in the past 24 hours and 204 new infections, marking a continuation of a new upward trend. 

A nursing home near Thessaloniki was quarantined for a week on Wednesday after a coronavirus outbreak among residents and staff.

Thirty-two residents and three employees out of a total of 120 people in a nursing home in the community of Asvestochori, east of Thessaloniki, have tested positive for the coronavirus, according to a report by broadcaster Skai on Wednesday.

In an apparent bid to underline the government's determination to contain any localized outbreaks of the coronavirus following a recent spike in cases, Deputy Minister for Civil Protection Nikos Hardalias and the government's special adviser on the coronavirus crisis, epidemiologist Sotiris Tsiodras, traveled on Friday to the northern Greek regional unit of Xanthi with a team from the National

Teams from the National Health Organization (EODY) will remain in the regional unit of Xanthi, in northeastern Greece, to conduct more tests for the coronavirus in an ongoing effort to halt its spread in the area, Health Ministry adviser and infectious disease professor Sotiris Tsiodras said on Friday, following a visit to the region.

Deputy Minister for Civil Protection Nikos Hardalias and the government's special adviser on the coronavirus crisis, Sotiris Tsiodras, were traveling to the northern Greek region of Xanthi on Friday with a team from the National Organization for Public Health (EODY) following an outbreak of Covid-19 cases.

I met the leader of the main opposition at his office in SYRIZA's Koumoundrou Square headquarters in downtown Athens. Alexis Tsipras gives the impression of a man going through a period of change, perhaps even introspection.