ATHENS — The rise in coronavirus-related hospitalizations in recent days has prompted the government to increase the number of beds in intensive care units (ICUs), Deputy Health Minister Vassilis Kontozamanis said on Friday.

Speaking at a meeting with other officials that introduced new emergency measures to moderate a spike in infections in Attica the past two weeks, Kontozamanis said that Greece currently has 931 operational beds in ICUs, with 778 of these in the National Health System hospitals, 32 in military hospitals and the remainder in private hospitals.

Of the 931 beds, 603 are currently occupied. In total, 692 are designated for patients with other than coronavirus ailments, while 239 are specifically for Covid-19 patients. Of the specially designated 239, those currently occupied number 91, he revealed.

In Attica specifically, of a total 337 beds in ICUs in general, 209 beds are currently occupied by non-coronavirus patients. Attica has 89 ICU beds for Covid-19 patients, of which 59 are already occupied.

The government is putting into force a plan to expand the ICU capacity for Covid-19 patients in Attica hospitals as follows: 10 beds in "Sotiria" hospital, 4 in the NIMTS hospital, and by the ned of next week another 24 beds distributed to special ICUs in "Asklipio", "Attikon" and elsewhere, Kontozamanis said.