Covid-19 patients airlifted to Athens as ICU demand rises

Three coronavirus patients from the city of Drama in northern Greece were Thursday airlifted to Athens as ICU beds in the area reached full capacity. The Hellenic Air Force C130 Hercules military transport plane took off from Kavala airport and landed at Elefsina military airport. The three patients, isolated inside negative pressure capsules, were taken to Evangelismos, Sotiria and Attikon hospitals. Authorities Thursday announced 2,018 new coronavirus cases over the previous 24 hours. They also said another 99 had died and a record 608 patients were on ventilators, confirming experts' estimates that the death toll and the demand for ICU beds will continue to increase notwithstanding a decline in the number of new cases.