Greece reports tenth COVID-19 case

Greece’s Health Ministry confirmed on Thursday morning its tenth COVID-19 case.

It involves a Greek woman who had recently traveled with the man diagnozed as the ninth case of the new coronavirus to Israel and Egypt, authorities said.

The patient has been transferred to an isolation unit at a hospital of Patras, western Greece.

Public health officials on Wednesday started tracing everyone believed to have come into close contact with Greece’s ninth confirmed case, a 65-year-old Greek man who is being treated in the same hospital.

Among those to be tracked down and tested are 53 people who had traveled on the same bus as him.

According to sources, the man is being treated for a serious respiratory infection. He visited a hospital in Amaliada on Sunday and was referred to Patra’s University Hospital where he was initially kept in an open ward as he had not been admitted as a potential coronavirus case.

He was eventually quarantined after testing positive for the virus but authorities are concerned that he might have infected hospital staff and fellow travelers on his trip to Israel and Egypt at the end of last month.

The government also announced emergency measures on Wednesday evening in the prefectures of Ilia, Zakynthos and Achaia in western Greece to contain the spread of the coronavirus after the 65-year-old man was confirmed earlier in the day. 

Under the measures schools, sports arenas, cinemas, theaters and archaeological sites will be closed for 48 hours.