ATHENS -Greece reported a new daily record of 21,657 COVID-19 infections on Tuesday, more than double the level of the day before.
"Omicron prevails, so we should be prepared and this should not cause panic," Greek health minister Thanos Plevris told state TV ERT.
The country had reported 9,284 cases on Monday, when the government announced tighter curbs would be put in place from Jan. 3 to Jan. 16 to contain infections, targeting mainly night-time entertainment venues.
Authorities had also tightened curbs last week, mandating masks in open spaces and banning Christmas and New Year festivities in public places.
Greece, which weathered the first wave of the pandemic last year in relatively better shape than some other European countries, has been grappling with a surge in infections in recent weeks that has put a strain on its healthcare system.
There have been a total of 1,105,885 COVID-19 infections in the country since the pandemic began, and the death toll stands at 20,557.