Covid-19 coronavirus: Greece accused of island cover-up to keep tourism afloat

Actors and singers perform at the Odeon of Herodes Atticus in Athens, Greece, after the site was reopened for performances in July, with the ancient Parthenon in the background. Photo / AP

The Greek Government has been accused of covering up the number of coronavirus cases on holiday islands in the Aegean, allegedly buckling under pressure from the tourism industry.

Doctors and opposition MPs claim the figures have been fudged by counting people who return from the islands, and test positive for Covid-19 tests in Athens, Thessaloniki or other cities as mainland, rather than island, infections.

That has decreased the case totals for islands such as Mykonos, Santorini and Paros, critics say.

The Government also counts infections by region, not individual islands, making it difficult to assess infection levels in some of Greece's most popular holiday destinations.

Nikos Chardalias, the minister for civil protection, has admitted that only regional data on Covid-19 was given, so that no specific destination was put "in the crosshairs" of negative publicity.

Panagiotis Papanikolaou, the secretary of the Federation of Hospital Doctors' Associations of Greece, said: "We said there was a problem in informing the public as far as the geographical distribution of cases is concerned. It is unacceptable."

He also accused international tour operators of "strong-arming the Government" into downplaying the number of cases on the islands.

Yiannis Ragousis, an MP with the opposition Syriza Party, accused the Government of deliberately concealing island cases, and of endangering the health of "tens of thousands of people".

He said: "They knew what was going on, and said nothing, neither to residents nor to visitors. Their excuse that they didn't want to defame any particular island cannot convince anyone."

A swift, early lockdown meant Greece has recorded 10,500 cases and 271 deaths.

In the seven days to September 1, Greece recorded 14.3 cases per 100,000 people, up marginally from 14.1 a week earlier.