ATHENS – Epidemiological data in Greece and the outstanding results of restrictive measures to control the Covid-19 pandemic's spread in Greece has done away with the necessity for live televised briefings by professor Sotiris Tsiodras and himself, Civil Protection Deputy Minister for Crisis Management Nikos Hardalias said on Tuesday.

Greek confirmed coronavirus cases to date total 2,892, with 173 deaths, a percentage lower than 1 pct of the total Greek population, as Tsiodras, spokesman for the Health Ministry's committee on novel coronavirus said earlier.

The daily briefings, which began on March 16, had been reduced to thrice weekly. As of Wednesday, information on the virus will be provided through daily and other statements by the Ministry of Health, he said. "We are wrapping up this joint interview with professor Tsiodras after 72 days of nearly daily briefings," Hardalias stated, noting however that "our collaboration will continue behind the scenes as usual."

Hardalias expressed the hope there will be no emergencies calling for briefings to begin anew. "If you see us doing these daily briefings with Mr. Tsiodras again, that means things have become difficult again," he quipped.

The minister, who has been the one to reiterate restriction measures and criticise transgressions almost daily, reminded the public that all precautionary measures were still in effect, and that "we have not finished with the pandemic". He called on the public to keep observing the rules of hygiene and social distancing, and said that the situation is such that requires continued vigilance and alertness.