Stelios Petsas, Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister and government spokesman, announced on Monday that the country’s traditional military and school parades on October 28th would not take place this year due to coronavirus concerns.
Although Greece’s virus numbers remain low compared to other European nations, Petsas stated that the risk of the further spread and transmission of COVID-19 is too high to allow for the parades.
“It is now clear that a second wave of the pandemic has already occurred in our country and throughout Europe, which is reflected in the number of cases, intubations and, unfortunately, deaths,” Petsas said during a health briefing on Monday.
“Vigilance is needed… because the picture can easily change dramatically.”
OXI Day commemorates the moment when Greek Prime Minister, Ioannis Metaxas, on October 28, 1940, rejected Benito Mussolini’s ultimatum to allow Axis forces to invade strategic locations in Greece during WWII.
After the war, OXI Day became a national holiday in Greece and Cyprus.
It is celebrated every year with military and school parades in both countries and around the world among the Greek Diaspora.
