Greek authorities are considering imposing a general lockdown on Mount Athos following the outbreak of 8 Covid-19 cases at the Monastery of Saint Pavlos.

According to information in the possession protothema.gr, the infectious disease specialist Sotiris Tsiodras has travelled to the peninsula in Macedonia accompanied by the General Secretary of Civil Protection, Mr. Papageorgiou, after the confirmed cases of the coronavirus.

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The administartive authorities of Athos are holding a meeting in the area to assess the situation and decide the course of action they will take to prevent the spread of the virus.

“There is a concern that more cases could emerge and sampling will start elsewhere. The possibility of closing Mount Athos for a short period of time is open”, Mount Athos sources told protothema.gr.

In the next few hours, a team from the Hellenic National Public Health Organization (EODY) is expected to visit the area and talk to the monks. There will be extensive Covid-19 testing.