Greek PM announces more restrictive measures as COVID-19 cases break daily record for 3rd consecutive day

ATHENS, Oct. 22 (Xinhua) -- Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis made a televised address on Thursday evening, announcing additional stricter restrictive measures to combat the novel coronavirus pandemic, as a new record daily high of 882 cases was reported.

It was the third consecutive day that a negative record was announced by Greek authorities, since the start of the crisis in Greece eight months ago. The 15 fatalities reported on Thursday is also the highest daily number since the first case was diagnosed on Feb. 26 in the country.

A curfew is imposed from 12:30 a.m. until 5:00 a.m and the use of face masks will be mandatory everywhere indoors and outdoors in areas with heavy epidemiological load classified as level 3 alert and the maximum 4 on authorities' COVID-19 monitoring map, the Greek leader said.

As a second full nationwide lockdown like the one imposed in spring for over a month is not the government's choice, the supplementary targeted measures will be introduced as of Saturday morning as part of efforts to curb the spread of the virus, he said.

The second wave of the pandemic in Greece as well as across Europe this autumn is stronger than the first and the only way to tackle it is by observing the instructions of experts, the measures imposed by the state and demonstrating personal responsibility and solidarity, Mitsotakis stressed.

"We have a difficult quarter ahead of us. I will close, however, with an optimistic message. Because for the first time since the beginning of this adventure, the prospect of having a safe and effective vaccine is on the horizon," he said during the address which was broadcast on Greek national broadcaster ERT.

"At the beginning of 2021, therefore, with the new year, a new day may rise in the war against the coronavirus. Until science wins, however, we must hold on to the shield of responsibility. I do not ask you to do anything more and nothing less than what we did in the spring, when Greece became an example to follow. I'm sure we will make it again," the Greek prime minister stressed.

The address was made after an alarming increase in the number of confirmed infections lately. The daily record has been broken five times during October.

Greece has registered 28,216 confirmed infections and a total of 549 deaths since the virus reached the country, according to the latest count given by the National Public Health Organization on Thursday.

Two areas in northern Greece, Kastoria and Kozani, were placed under regional lockdown in the past week.