The Greek newspaper "Proto Thama" reported that the 66-year-old was diagnosed with the virus after returning from a trip to Israel • This is the first death case in the country

• Greek sanitation worker disinfect a room where Corona patients were staying // Photo: IP

A sixty-six-year-old Greek citizen died of corona disease this morning (Thursday) after apparently contracting the virus during a pilgrimage to Israel, the Greek newspaper Proto Thama reported.

The man, a teacher by profession, is reportedly dead after being hospitalized for more than a week at Rio Hospital in the capital Athens. This is the first death case in the country as a result of the Corona virus.

The number of Corona virus patients in Greece now stands at 98 people and the country's media outlets predict that it will cross the "Century Barrier" today. Many in the country fear that the health system in Greece, which has suffered greatly for more than a decade of austerity policy, will find it difficult to cope with the disease.

Meanwhile, Italy experienced one of the toughest days in terms of the number of people affected by the virus since the outbreak began last month. The number of people infected in the country rose to 12,462 and the death toll from the virus reached 827.