ATHENS — Greece is epidemiologically at a fairly stable level, Civil Protection Deputy Minister for Crisis Management Nikos Hardalias said on Friday, but the stability is "fragile".

At the twice-weekly televised briefing, Hardalias said that "yes, Greece does show a stable development, but this stability is extremely fragile" and does not lend itself to relaxing vigilance. He cited as an example Kozani, N Greece, which is currently under lockdown (level 4 on the newly introduced threat-level scale), adding that the situation in Ioannina, NW Greece, is "extremely critical".

Speaking at the same live briefing, epidemiology professor and member of the special Health Ministry committee on the pandemic Gkikas Magiorkinis said that Greece registered over 500 new cases in 24 hours, as Friday's statistics revealed. He noted that the rolling average of new infections per week showed an 80 percent spike 20 days into September, while in the first week of October it fluctuated between 1,200 and 1,300 new diagnoses per week. "This apparent stabilization tendency is fragile and could change from moment to moment," he warned.

Overall in Greece, he said, there is a mild rise in cases. "A strict observance of preventative measures by all is imperative, as the drop in temperature will mean a rise in contagiousness," he noted, as people spend more time indoors. In Europe, he said, the countries with the most cases include (in numerical order) Russia, Spain, France, the UK and Italy.

Both officials said that the National Health System was still able to handle the cases, although it was under great pressure.