ATHENS — Three persons that arrived with Blue Star 1 ferry from Patmos island to Piraeus were placed in isolation as two of them were found positive with coronavirus. The other passengers of the ferry disembarked normally at Piraeus.

An investigation has been launched and depending on the result the necessary actions will be taken for the rest of the ferry's passengers.

The prosecutor has been informed and is expecting the investigation's result to find out if the two infected knew they were positive or not.

Greek authorities have been alarmed by a significant increase in the number of daily coronavirus cases detected, with the numbers steadily over 200 for the past five days. Total confirmed cases now top 7,000, with 228 deaths.

Many of the new cases have been attributed to outbreaks after weddings and people ignoring social distancing and protective measures during summer vacations.

Health authorities began carrying out spot checks for the virus on ferry passengers returning to the mainland from the islands on Sunday.