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Members of the medical staff treat a patient at the intensive care unit (ICU) of the Sotiria hospital, amid the coronavirus disease (COVID-19) pandemic, in Athens, Greece, April 29, 2021. REUTERS/Giorgos Moutafis
ATHENS, Nov 1 (Reuters) – Greece recorded 5,449 new coronavirus infections in the past 24 hours, authorities said on Monday, the highest single-day figure since the pandemic began early last year.
Another 52 people died from COVID-19 over the past day, taking the total to 15,990 among 747,595 COVID-19 cases.
Giannis Oikonomou, a spokesman for the government, said it was “pressing” to increase the number of vaccinations, which have been moving at a slower pace than authorities anticipated.
“We’re not done with COVID yet. As long as there are unvaccinated people, the virus finds a suitable ground to spread,” Oikonomou told a regular news briefing on Monday.
“We mourn the loss of human lives due to non-vaccination, and this cannot, and should not, continue.”
About 60.5% of Greeks are vaccinated against COVID-19, less than the European Union average of 64.7%, according to the latest available data.
Reporting by Karolina Tagaris
Editing by Mark Heinrich
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