The coronavirus is galloping on Mount Athos, plunging the monastic state into an unprecedented health crisis.

According to Mount Athos, the real cases are at least 50 with some raising the number to 70! In just one day last Saturday, 8 cases were recorded but, as officials of the Athonite state told makthes.gr, the real number is much higher and the situation is much more tragic than what it seems.

Among the last victims of the coronavirus is the monk Dionysios from the cell of Kartsonai in the skete of Saint Anne. Monk Panteleimon from Saint Anne was intubated, while a few days ago Fr. Prodromos from Karyes and one of his subordinates had to be intubated at AHEPA.

The situation on Mount Athos is causing great concern to the administration and the authorities as the situation seems to be out of control. Measures and protocols exist but are not implemented properly resulting in a large spread of the virus, while there are entire monasteries that have been turned into strongholds of anti-vaccinators.

According to Mount Athos, the whole situation is aggravated by Romanian pilgrims who have been reaching Mount Athos in large numbers lately and have devised various ways to be able to pass the rapid tests they are forced to undergo upon entering the monastic state.

The situation is tragic even in relation to other parts of the country. According to the data of the Hellenic National Public Health Organization on Mount Athos, the number of deaths from the coronavirus in relation to the recorded cases reaches a percentage of 5.26% higher than any other region and prefecture of the country!

The announcement of the number of cases has caused intense concern among believers who through social media pages began to make appeals for the competent authorities to intervene to protect the elders of the monastic state. The situation is so aggravated that in the previous days the monasteries of Pantokratoros, Xenophon, Vatopedi and the hermitage of Prophet Elias were closed to visitors.

Source: makthes.gr