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| - Greek officials on Friday extended a coronavirus lockdown in the capital Athens and other areas until March 8 as the infection rate remained high. "Our epidemiologists judged necessary the extension of (restrictive) measures," civil protection deputy minister Nikos Hardalias said, exactly one year after the first Covid-19 infection was recorded in Greece. "One year on, we are still doing battle... we will not buckle, lose heart or retreat," Hardalias told a news conference. "Thanks to the vaccine, liberty is not far," he said, his voice cracking. Epidemiologist Gikas Magiorkinis, a member of the health ministry's coronavirus committee, said that admissions to intensive care units had risen by about 12 percent this week. Greece has been under lockdown since early November. Some measures were relaxed ahead of Christmas but re-imposed in February. The country has recorded over 6,400 Covid deaths since the start of the pandemic, and over 188,000 infections. Over 826,000 vaccinations have been carried out in the country of 11 million. jph/har
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