Greece confirms 1,261 new COVID-19 cases

By Magda Panoutsopoulou

Athens (AA) - Greece on Tuesday saw a jump in coronavirus cases with 1,261 new daily infections.

This is the highest the country has yet seen this year after weeks of relatively low numbers.

The overall caseload now stands at 158,716 and 5,851 related deaths, including 22 in the last 24 hours.

Authorities are on alert after confirming the South African variant of coronavirus in Thessaloniki on Sunday.

"There is no reason to panic. The strain was found in a church official. We will conduct sweeping tests in the wider regions and follow the contacts' path," Citizen Protection Minister Nikos Hardalias said after visiting the city.

There have also been 204 cases of variant first detected in the UK.