January 4th local time, the latest epidemic notification issued by the Greek Ministry of Health said that in the past 24 hours, 427 new confirmed cases of COVID-19 have been reported in Greece, with a total of 140,526 confirmed cases.
During this period, 54 new deaths have been 54 new cases and a total of 5,011 deaths have been recorded.
The Greek government had previously announced plans to reopen schools on January 11, but some medical experts objected to the government’s plan.
Mosialos, professor of medical policy at the London School of Economics, said on January 4 that after the New Year holiday, the number of confirmed cases of COVID-19 in Greece is likely to increase compared with the previous one.
If there is a surge in cases before January 10, the government should freeze the plan to start the school on the 11th to ensure the health and safety of teachers and students.
He said that it is still necessary to wait patiently for a period of time before determining the specific opening date of the school after the actual epidemic data comes out.
Salianis, a professor of environmental engineering at Aristotle University in Thessaloniki, holds the same view.
He said that based on mathematical models, if Greece extends the lockdown for another two to three weeks, the number of patients with COVID-19 will fall to a lower level, while he also suggested that the opening date of schools should be postponed to 25.
Demitsakis, a genetics professor at the University of Geneva, believes that it is a relatively safe decision to open the school first.
However, he pointed out that caution should be taken before the universal vaccination plan begins to bear fruit.
He believes that Greece may face a long rolling blockade. When cases decrease, the lockdown measures will be loosened.
But when cases increase again, new restrictions will be implemented.
He also said that by March, with the gradual rise of temperatures and the increase in the number of vaccinated people, the epidemic is expected to ease significantly.
