ATHENS - The first COVID-19 death was reported in Greece Thursday, said an e-mailed press statement from the health ministry.

The victim was a 66-year-old Greek man from a group of people who were linked to travel to Israel and Egypt.

He was hospitalized in the city of Patras in western Greece on March 2 and died in the early hours Thursday after suffering multiple organ failure, said the statement.

A total of 99 cases, including 95 Greeks and four foreign nationals, have been reported in Greece since the first case was confirmed on Feb. 26, according to the ministry.

Greek authorities have been stepping up measures to curb the spread of the epidemic amid a rising caseload.