ATHENS, Oct. 27 (Xinhua) -- Greece's health authorities on Tuesday reported a new record high in the number of daily COVID-19 infections with 1,259 confirmed cases.
The total number of confirmed infections since the outbreak of the pandemic in the country on Feb. 26 now stands at 32,752, according to the National Public Health Organization.
In another negative record for Greece, the number of patients in intensive care units in Greece reached 102 on Tuesday.
Also on Tuesday, 12 people lost their lives, bringing the total number of fatalities to 593.
The previous record of daily infections was registered on Saturday with 935 new cases.
On Tuesday the negative record was broken for the seventh time in October.
In order to avoid a full nationwide lockdown like the one imposed in spring for over a month, the government has implemented a series of restrictive measures in recent weeks on regional level.
As of Saturday, a curfew was imposed from 12:30 a.m. until 5:00 a.m and the use of face masks is now mandatory everywhere indoors and outdoors in areas with a heavy epidemiological load classified as "level 3 alert."
On Tuesday, during a regular press briefing on the novel coronavirus, Nikos Hardalias, deputy minister for civil protection and crisis management, said that two more areas in northern Greece -- Ioannina and Serres -- will be added to the regions placed under local lockdown in this second wave of the pandemic.
The Greek official, as well as infectious diseases Professor Sotirios Tsiodras, a member of the committee of experts advising the Greek Health Ministry on the management of the COVID-19 challenge, made a new plea to people to observe the protection measures.
As winter approaches, the situation may become more difficult and the healthcare system will be under more pressure, Tsiodras warn, urging citizens to demonstrate responsibility. Enditem
