The first batch of Covid-19 self-tests was delivered to Greece on Friday (April 2) and pharmacies will begin receiving them as of April 7, Deputy Health Minister Vassilis Kontozamanis said on Friday, according to ANA.
Speaking at a regular live briefing on the pandemic, Kontozamanis noted that a second batch is scheduled to arrive in Greece in the middle of the coming week (April 7), and the last one the week after.
If all goes well, by the end of the coming week pharmacies across Greece will have received enough supplies to initially provide tests to high school students aged 16 to 18 and their teachers. They will then become available to ages 18 to 64 in the general public, he revealed.
Every citizen has a right to one test per week or four per month. He detailed the process of acquiring them from the pharmacies and doing them at home.
The tests are being delivered to two storage spaces, in Athens and Thessaloniki, and will be then transferred to 100-plus, pharmacy wholesalers, from which they will be distributed to pharmacies. The Armed Forces will be supervising the supply chain, he added.
Each test will be accompanied by directions. Children’s tests may be picked up by parents by providing the universal health number (AMKA), while each test must be done 24-48 hours prior to the start of classes. Pharmacies will not be doing the tests. Results will be registered by families at the self-testing.gov.gr platform, which will go live on Wednesday. Employees who are obliged to take the test will also register the results on this platform.
A negative infection result will be signed by parents and be carried by a student during the week, presenting it to the teacher taking roll call. Students lacking such a paper will not be allowed to come to class or log in for distance learning.
Students or professionals with positive results must take a follow-up antigen test, provided at public services for free, to excuse absence from school, Kontozamanis explained.
Greek hospitals have a long way before they become decongested, said professor of pediatric infectious diseases Vana Papaevangelou at the briefing, but vaccinations are already affecting a drop in admissions for certain age groups.
The doctor noted particularly that there is a significant drop in infections among those aged 75 or over, as well admissions of those aged 60-64 in intensive care units. All these are age groups that have been vaccinated.
Leading however in infections in Greece is the group with a median age of 45 years, for which vaccinations have not yet begun, she noted.
Papaevangelou said that there were two trends, a steep rise in infections – 19,000 nationally just this past week, a 6.8 pct positive test rate per 100,000 of the population – but at the same time a trend of stabilizing in the southern half of the country, including Attica Region.
Right now, active infections stand at 27,000 nationwide. Half of these are found in the region of Attica, where hospitals are still under immense pressure. But the trend is stabilizing there, while infections in northern Greece and at islands are rising, she added. This past week, new infections in Thessaloniki rose by 28 pct. The city has 2,000 active infections.
Nationally, some 5,200 patients are hospitalized in regular (non-ICU) Covid-19 wards.
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