ATHENS, March 17 (Xinhua) -- The Greek government on Wednesday appealed to private doctors to immediately offer their services to the public healthcare system in the battle against COVID-19 as the number of daily confirmed infections and intubations broke new records.
Greece registered 3,465 new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, the National Public Health Organization (EODY) said on Wednesday. The previous record was reported on Nov. 12 last year. Meanwhile, 630 patients were currently on ventilators. The previous high was 622 on Dec. 3, 2020.
To date, Greece has confirmed a total of 227,247 infections since the start of the pandemic. The country's death toll rose by 56 in a day to 7,252.
In addition, 406 COVID-19 patients were admitted to hospitals across the country in the past 24 hours. The average COVID-19 admission was 449 patients over the last seven days, Greek national news agency AMNA reported.
Currently, 4,648 patients with COVID-19 are hospitalized nationwide, about 1,000 more compared to last week, Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias told a regular press briefing.
"Unfortunately, we face the worst-case scenario regarding the course of the pandemic, the spread of the virus... We are at the most difficult phase of the course of COVID-19 since the start of the pandemic," he stressed.
As the public healthcare system is under enormous pressure, in particular in the Attica region, the government has activated in the past two weeks an emergency plan with the mobilization of several private hospitals and clinics. So far, 550 beds of private hospitals are available for the treatment of COVID-19 and other patients, he noted.
As more hospitals are added to the list, Kikilias called on private doctors as well to join the battle more actively now.
"Our fellow citizens need you. Greece needs you. Therefore, we expect that in the next 48 hours you will make your offer, an act of solidarity," the minister said.
Kikilias voiced confidence that despite the current difficulties, Greece will soon exit the crisis with as few losses as possible.
"I am optimistic that the end of the crisis is near, because the progress of vaccinations, which is the key for the developments, continues with no obstacles in our country," he told the briefing.
To date, more than 1.3 million vaccinations have been administered in Greece and an additional 1.5 million will be conducted during April as the country receives more doses from pharmaceuticals, the minister said.
As the world is struggling to contain the pandemic, vaccination is underway in an increasing number of countries with already-authorized coronavirus vaccines.
Meanwhile, 263 candidate vaccines are still being developed worldwide -- 81 of them in clinical trials -- in countries including Germany, China, Russia, Britain, and the United States, according to information released by the World Health Organization on March 12. Enditem
