Athens university

There has been an 85 percent drop in organ transplants over the past two months as hospitals have focused their resources primarily on responding to patients infected with Covid-19, prominent Greek nephrologists have said.

The coronavirus pandemic in Greece is likely to wane over the course of May, though sporadic cases are likely to be recorded over the summer, an Athens University expert has told Kathimerini based on a comparative analysis of data from Greece and other countries. 

The imposition of restrictions in response to the coronavirus pandemic has had a psychological impact on adolescents who are spending more time at home and on their parents, with both appealing for help, Kathimerini understands. 

By George Gilson

During Greece's decade-long economic depression in which 25 percent of GDP was lost and the harsh austerity imposed by creditors broke the back of society, much was written about the biggest collateral damage wrought by the financial crisis.

With the number of confirmed Covid-19 cases rising to 31 on Thursday after 21 travelers who had recently returned from a pilgrimage to religious sites in Israel and Egypt tested positive, health authorities are bracing for a spike in the disease. 

Schools, universities, theatres, cinemas, athletics facilities, archaeological sites, artistic venues and museums have been closed initially for a period of 48 hours in the prefectures of Achaia, Elia, and Zakynthos.

Nationwide measures will be re-evaluated after that period.

As health authorities confirmed the fourth case of coronavirus in Greece on Friday, the government pressed forward with its drive to contain its spread. 

The fourth case is a 36-year-old woman who recently returned to Athens from northern Italy, according to the head of the Health Ministry's committee of experts on contagious diseases, Athens University professor Sotiris Tsiodras. 

The government on Thursday moved a step closer to enforcing a set of emergency measures for the containment of the coronavirus after health authorities confirmed that two more people have tested positive for the virus, bringing the total number of cases in Greece to three.

A three-member misdemeanors court in Athens acquitted on Monday two university students accused of taking part in clashes between protesters and riot police in the yard of a prominent Athens university last November.

The judges adopted the prosecutor's recommendation and ruled unanimously that there was no evidence the two accused had taken part in the scuffle.

On World Cancer Day on Tuesday, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis added his voice to warnings by experts underlining the need for regular preventive medical tests.