British tourists travelling to Greece for summer holidays have been warned they are at risk of catching a new Covid variant.
An increase in the new FLiRT variant has been reported after a sharp rise in hospital admissions across the country.
Some 669 new Covid patients admitted from July 8 to 14 – a 44% increase in the weekly average compared to the same period in June.
In total, 26 Covid deaths have been reported by Greece’s National Public Health Organisation, EODY.
The Mentaxa Oncology Hospital in Piraeus, Athens, has reintroduced a mask policy and other protective measures.
The President Association of Hospital Doctors’ Union of Athens and Piraeus Matina Pagoni told MEGA: ‘It’s summer, we’re going on vacation, we never said the coronavirus was gone.
‘The truth is that this year, compared to last year, the cases have nothing to do with it.
‘There are too many hospitalisations and also deaths – 21-22 deaths are too many.’
The city of Thessaloniki has also seen a rise in cases through sewage testing.
The Athens-based union warned the outbreak is expected to continue until the end of July.
It comes as Greece is in the grip of a ‘hellish’ heatwave and its most severe wildfire risk in two decades.
The Acropolis, the country’s top cultural attraction, was forced to shut midday Wednesday as the mercury soared.
Meteorologists have warned that temperatures – already hitting 46°C in parts of the country – are unlikely to drop before the end of July.
Tourists have been told to stay indoors due to the temperatures in what is another headache for holidaymakers who have travelled to Greece to enjoy the sun.
The symptoms of the FliRT variant are similar to earlier Covid strains.
They include fever, cough, fatigue, loss of taste or smell, sore throat, body aches, short breath, headache and runny nose.
The World Health Organisation released a statement indicating Covid is still responsible for 1,700 deaths per week.
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