Pandemic – What do infection specialists expect for the end of September?

Despite the signs of epidemiological stabilization that the country has been showing lately, the Regional Units of Kavala, Imathia, Pieria, and Pella have entered the red, therefore they have been placed in a mini lockdown regime.

At the same time, experts are sounding the alarm about the stagnation observed in the vaccination project, especially for citizens over the age of 60, who are even more at risk if they become ill.

Professor Vana Papaevangelou, in the context of programmed information, appealed to those who remain unvaccinated to hurry, while asking for the attention of citizens who do not comply with protection measures, especially when they are among people who are not vaccinated or are at high risk groups.

Correlation of cases with vaccination coverage

She herself correlated the vaccination coverage of some areas with the increase of cases observed in these areas. Specifically, as she said, in the last three weeks, despite the control of the pandemic and the reduction of the contagion throughout the country, in some areas such as Imathia, Pella, Pieria, Evritania, Argolida and Ilia, things do not seem to be improving.

Speaking specifically about Argolida and Pieria, where there is a high epidemiological burden, she said that the cases of over 55 years are more in Pieria as only 40% of the citizens of this age have been vaccinated there, than in Argolida where the situation is slightly better because 53% have been vaccinated there.

She spoke of a linear relationship between vaccination coverage and cases, mainly in those over the age of 65, citing data from West Attica, where there is lower vaccination coverage and an increased number of cases over the age of 50.

“Less risk”

The Deputy Minister of Health, Mina Gaga, also spoke about the signs of de-escalation of the pandemic, stressing that more than 63% of the general population has already been vaccinated, noting that the risk of contaminating someone is 10 times lower if one is vaccinated, compared to if they are not.

The Deputy Minister of Health once again called on older people to visit the vaccination centers and get the coronavirus vaccine.

Ominous signs

Ms. Papaevangelou characterized as ominous the observation that those over 65 have stopped being vaccinated, while on the contrary she said that the fact that the vaccination coverage of students is over 73% is positive.

As she said, the Rt factor is at 0.84 and predicted that for the next month the number of intubated and those losing their lives from covid-19 will remain constant.

Referring to the self tests, she clarified that it will not be a surprise to see an increase in cases in the next 15 days as she said we are in a transitional period where the number of self tests in students has increased, but also rapid tests in employees who have not been vaccinated .

The new diagnoses for children and adolescents, she said, range from 20% to 21%, a rate that has been stable since July, but she estimated that it makes sense to see an increase in the coming weeks as schools open.

Maiorkinis sounds the alarm for the end of September

A “resurgence” of the pandemic is expected in late September, according to Gikas Maiorkinis, who sounded the alarm.

As he said, the cases have been relatively high lately, due to the many tests that are being carried out and the image will “clear” at the end of September.

Then, he estimates that the cases will go up more as the closed entertainment places will operate in “full”. However, he clarified that this fall, with vaccinations and tests, cases will be treated more effectively and with less human costs.

According to him, in the last week, the cases show a decrease for the third consecutive week, while they are 12% less than the week before.

In the same vein, the professor of Environmental Engineering at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, Demosthenes Sarigiannis, argued that condition is in stability, we are still falling, but more slowly “.

As he explained, this is a harbinger of a change in the image we expect to see around 18 to 20 of the month, with a reversal in an upward trend that can lead to a daily increase of over 4,000 – 4,500 cases towards the end of the month, while the weekly average will be around 3,500 – 3,700. We might even see 4,900 in one day, but that will be just one day “.

Kavala, Imathia, Pieria & Pella in the “red”

In the meantime, restrictive measures come into force from today, Friday, in the Regional Units of Kavala, Imathia, Pieria and Pella.

These areas are included in level 4 (red) of the epidemiological map of the country. Also, the validity of the specific, local, measures in the Regional Units of Evritania and Argolida is extended, after the re-evaluation of the epidemiological data by the Committee of Infectious Diseases and the National Committee for Public Health Protection against coronavirus, in the context of the epidemiological survey. country by Regional Unit and Municipality on a weekly basis.

At the same time, level 3 (orange) includes the Regional Units of Achaia, Ilia, Messinia, Heraklion, as well as the Municipality of Ikaria.

It is reminded that the measures in force are the following:

Traffic ban from 01:00 in the evening until 06:00 in the morning, with the exception of work and serious health reasons.
Prohibition of music around the clock in stores of health interest and entertainment.
The measures are valid from Friday 17 September at 06.00 until Friday 24 September at 6:00.

It is reminded that in these areas, as well as in the whole territory, it is forbidden to hold any form of events, for profit, or not, with the physical presence of a crowd of more than twenty (20) people in a private, non-professional space.

The administrative fine in case of violation amounts from 50,000 to 200,000 euros for the lessee or concessionaire of the private, non-professional space, in which the event in question took place or takes place.