Infectious disease specialist Sotiris Tsiodras has shared his frustration over the poor containment of the coronavirus in Athens, with a nursing home in the Attica region becoming a dangerous hotspot for the disease.
A 10-day lockdown has been introduced at the facility in the Agios Panteleimonas district of Athens. At least 40 people – staff and patients – in the facility have tested positive for the virus so far, the head of the National Organization for Public Health (EODY), Panagiotis Arkoumaneas, told Skai TV.
Ambulances were seen on Thursday morning transferring elderly residents to various coronavirus designated hospitals in the Greek capital. Keep Talking Greece reports that so far a total of 18 people have been hospitalised, with another 18 awaiting transfer.
Four members of the staff are reportedly in quarantine, with Greek media claiming the last COVID-19 personnel testing at the facility was conducted in August.
Health authorities have not yet identified the Patient Zero, who contaminated the staff and elderly residents. It was reported that relatives have not been permitted to visit the facility “in months”.
The month of August saw over 20 elderly die after a COVID-19 outbreak in two nursing homes in Thessaloniki.
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Australian-born immunologist Sotiris Tsiodras visited the facility on Wednesday evening after the outbreak was reported.
“Things are not going well in Athens,” Tsiodras said outside the facility.
“It’s a situation we do not want to see again and, unfortunately, we continue to see it.”
There have so far been a total of 18,475 COVID-19 cases in Greece and 391 deaths.
