Greece's COVID-19 cases top 100,000

ATHENS, Nov. 27 (Xinhua) -- Greece's confirmed COVID-19 cases surpassed the 100,000 mark on Friday after another 2,013 infections were identified in the past 24 hours, authorities announced.

The total infections now stand at 101,287 since the first case was diagnosed on Feb. 26, according to the National Public Health Organization (EODY).

During the past 24 hours, 101 patients died, bringing the total deaths to 2,102 since the start of the pandemic. Moreover, 607 patients are currently intubated, while 538 have been discharged from intensive care units (ICUs) in the past nine months.

Despite a drop in the past few days in daily rates of infection in the capital Athens and Thessaloniki, the second-largest city of the country in the north, the overall reduction rate is much slower than expected, officials told a regular press briefing on Friday, according to Greek national news agency AMNA.

Infections in some areas have flared up again, in particular in western Greece, and currently some 4,500 people were being treated in hospitals nationwide (25 percent in Thessaloniki) and 88 percent of beds were occupied across the country, officials added.

In order to cope with the increased pressure in the healthcare system in northern Greece, which still has a high epidemiological load, authorities started transferring patients to ICUs in Athens.

Faced with the second wave of the pandemic this fall, Greece entered a new lockdown on Nov. 7 as part of efforts to control the spread of the virus.

On Thursday, the government announced that the lockdown, scheduled to end on Nov. 30, will be extended until Dec. 7.