Australia’s regulatory agency for therapeutic goods has approved the Pfizer/BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine for children between the ages of 12 and 15.
Health Minister Greg Hunt announced to the Seven Network that the Therapeutic Goods Administration (TGA) has moved to lower the eligible cohort for the vaccine to include everybody 12-years-old and over.
Health Minister Greg Hunt made the announcement to the Seven Network (Photo: NCA NewsWire/Sarah Matray)
Though the vaccine has been approved for this age group, they won’t be included in the rollout for some time and will wait in line until the rest of the adult population has had the chance to be vaccinated.
The Australian Technical Advisory Group on Immunisation (ATAGI) is “well” into conversations on prioritising children with underlying health conditions who are at more risk of serious illness to receive the vaccine.
“Our plans are in place to roll out what is more likely, on the early advice I have, is that they will fast-track vaccines for 12- to 15-year-olds for the immunocompromised children or those with underlying health conditions,” Minister Greg Hunt said.
“If ATAGI gives a second green light for the immunocompromised and kids with underlying medical conditions they would be immediately added to what’s called phase 1b, they would immediately be able to access the Pfizer [vaccine].”
The ATAGI will also review data from the US, where the vaccine has been made available to all children, when it is received in August or September.
The TGA is yet to publish the approvals Mr Hunt said were confirmed overnight.
At a time when Australia’s greatest athletes are playing on the Olympic stage, we remember where they started. The grassroots sports, or community sport, which remains one of the greatest representations of Australian sporting culture.
There are many people in the community who have dedicated their life to the progression of community sport, to ensure it survives the global COVID-19 pandemic. George Voyage OAM is one of these people.
A second-generation Greek Australian, Voyage was born in 1952 to a Castellorizian father and mother, with his father emigrating to Australia after WWII while his mother emigrated with her family in 1919.
“Mum was born here and she’s got two brothers, both of whom played league football for Hawthorn. They’re probably the first Greek Australians to play league football, play AFL,” Voyage said to The Greek Herald.
As probably observed in the name Australian Football League (AFL), Voyage’s parents weren’t very familiar with Aussie staple upon first arriving to Australia. However, it didn’t take long for them to become familiarised with Aussie culture after establishing a restaurant in Melbourne.
“My dad, when he came, immersed himself in Australian life, as did tens of thousands of the young men and women who came to Australia at that time. And they tried to become part of society,” Voyage said.
“So once dad had met my mother…. he’s just come from Europe and Mum’s two brothers are playing for Hawthorn. So, of course, Dad’s going to be involved in that straightaway.
As many say when it comes to sport, it runs in the blood. This was the case for George, who immersed himself in Australian football from a teenager. In 1970, while finishing his schooling at Caulfield Grammar School, he joined Old Boys Football Club as a player in the under 19 team.
Playing an outstanding 240 games, eventually finishing his playing career in 1997, George eventually became a coach. He then went on to become part of the board and is now President of the VAFA, the Victorian Amateur Football Association.
According to George, the VAFA is the biggest football competition in Australian rules. The Melbourne-wide football competition currently has approximately 14,000 adult players, of which around 10,000 are men and approximately 4,500 are women. The Association will be celebrating their 130th anniversary next year.
While community sport is a way of getting exercise and engaging in physical activity, George recognises that it’s so much more.
“I’ve always had an interest in the amateur ethos and the amateur environment that we that we have,” George said.
“I’ve always liked people playing sport for the sport side of things, not for financial gain. Because I think sport is more than just the sport itself.”
“It’s a community, it’s comradeship, it’s engagement with people, respect for people and joining with people of all different ages and backgrounds.”
“For example with football, you could be in the crowd, a blue collar worker, for example, and you’re standing next to a high court judge, for example, at the same venue. At the same table, having a drink together after the match.
“It brings people together. And that really appeals to me.”
And at a time when it’s more important than ever for people to come together as a community, George says there is plenty of opportunity for government involvement to help sports grow.
“We’ve had an explosion in the number of females that are playing, yet the facilities are far behind what they need to be for women,” George said.
“For example, we need better lighting, we need better infrastructure to cope. Amateur clubs have got no way of finding huge money that’s required to build new buildings and infrastructure to support that.
“So it’s a never ending task.”
In 2021, George Voyage received an Order of Australia medal for his work with amateur sport in Australia, specifically with his involvement with the VAFA and cricket.
“I was really humbled and really honoured to receive that. I was taken aback because I’ve enjoyed every moment of it,” George concluded.
“They’re both sort of bastions of our society in Melbourne. So if you can imagine, the VAFA is a really big organisation and to work my way through and be president, that’s a great honour.
“And then for cricket, I’ve been involved for a long time at those two prestigious clubs (St Kilda Cricket Club and Brighton Cricket Club) and it’s a great honour to be recognised for volunteer work at all stages of being a volunteer.
“I guess that’s also representative of thousands of other people like me that selflessly donate their time.”
The Central and Eastern Sydney Primary Health Network (CESPHN) have developed a suite of videos from general practitioners (GPs) in the central and eastern Sydney region to convey the COVID-19 message to stay home, get tested and get vaccinated in a number of languages.
Dr James Giallussi, who owns a family medical practice in Rosebery, is doing his part for Sydney’s Greek community by sharing the messages in Greek.
In the video, Dr Giallussi can be heard asking people to only leave their home for four main reasons and to get vaccinated.
“Sydney is on high alert for COVID-19 and the Sydney lockdown has been extended. The only reasons you should leave home include shopping for food, medical care, exercise, or essential work and education,” Dr Giallussi says.
“You can leave home to get a COVID test or get vaccinated. Masks must be worn when indoors, except at home. You should not have visitors to your house. This includes family members outside of your household.
“Everyone in your family should get tested if anyone has COVID-19 or has come into contact with someone with COVID-19.”
Dr Giallussi joins a number of other GPs in the CESPHN region who can be heard speaking in English, Arabic, Korean, German, Tamil, Bengali, Serbian, Bahasa, Mandarin, Afrikaans and Uyghur.
Perth Glory FC has confirmed that 19-year-old midfielder, Sofia Sakalis, has signed a long-term deal with the club and will be on board for the Westfield W-league 2021/22 season.
The Australia Under-17 and Under-20 representative has previously represented Melbourne City, for whom she debuted in 2017/18.
“I’m super-excited to be joining Perth Glory and working with Alex [Epakis – head coach],” Sakalis said, according to a press release.
“His vision and the style of football he wants to play really excited me and I’m eager and ready for a new challenge and a new environment that will allow me to grow into the player I want to become.
Sakalis has previously played for Melbourne City.
“I think Alex is building something exceptional and his long-term vision has really re-ignited my passion for the game.”
The head coach said he is thrilled to have Sakalis on board for 2021/22 and is confident she will make a major impact in purple.
“With Sofia, those who have tracked the women’s game over recent years will be very familiar with her attacking talents and overall ability as an attacking midfielder,” Epakis said.
New Perth Glory signings Sarah Cain and Sofia Sakalis.
“Having been involved in Melbourne City’s W-League set-up since the age of 13, making her W-League debut at 15 and representing Australia across various youth levels, it is clear that she has great qualities.
“Sofia has committed for the next few seasons to our project and is really looking forward to playing a big part in helping the team work towards our goals, as well as evolving and further developing her own game.”
Sakalis will be joined by 21-year-old midfielder Sarah Cain, who also signed with Perth Glory and is on board for the Westfield W-League 2021/22 Season. Cain made six appearances for Melbourne City in what was her maiden W-League campaign last year.
Global business leader, Andrew Nicholas Liveris AO, has been named the Kastellorizian of the Year for 2021.
In announcing the award of Kastellorizian of the Year 2021, the President of the Kastellorizian Association of Victoria (KAV), Mr Nik Spartels, said that Mr Andrew N. Liveris, a well-known businessman, entrepreneur and philanthropist on a global scale, has demonstrated an extraordinary commitment to the international Greek community, including the Australian Greek community, the Kastellorizian community, and the Australian community.
The four criteria for the award are that the nominated person must be of Kastellorizian descent; have demonstrated excellence in their field of endeavour; must have made an outstanding contribution to the Kastellorizian, Greek and/or Australian community; and be an inspirational role model for Kastellorizians.
Andrew Liveris. Copyright by World Economic Forum swiss-image.ch/Photo Moritz Hager.
Mr Liveris is the co-founder and continuing Global Chairman of the Hellenic Initiative (THI), a non-profit organisation mobilising the Greek Diaspora to invest in the future of Greece, as well as to help the destitute.
Mr Liveris is obviously a man who looks to the future, and in Australia he, and his wife Paula, contributed $13.5 million to the University of Queensland to support the establishment of the Andrew N. Liveris Academy for Innovation and Leadership.
The Andrew N. Liveris building is nearing completion and will provide the environment and programs to deliver its objectives: a pipeline of effective and creative leaders for the digital era, with the capacity to contribute to a sustainable future.
Mr Liveris has worked with a number of US Presidents.
Andrew and Paula have also pledged to raise many more millions of dollars to support the University of Queensland’s ‘Not if, When’ philanthropic campaign.
With well over forty years of global leadership as former Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of the Dow Chemical Company and the former Executive Chairman of DowDuPont, his career has encompassed roles in manufacturing, engineering, sales, marketing, and business general management around the world.
In 2014, he was appointed an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO) for services to international business. He currently holds several directorships with major international companies. He has been awarded four Honorary Doctorates, counselled three US Presidents, and has received extensive honours and prestigious awards.
In his willingness to advise, impart and share his philosophy, knowledge and breadth of experience, he has become an international advocate to government, business, academic and non-profit sectors in his quest to maximise economic health (material and non-material) and future prosperity.
Andrew has remained loyal to his Greek/Kastellorizian roots and his Australian roots. He has personally supported projects in Darwin, where he was born, and in Queensland where he attended University. He has contributed to infrastructure projects on Kastellorizo, and through The Hellenic Initiative champions projects to assist the Hellenic Republic.
Although he has received many awards and accolades for his achievements and private benevolence, being named Kastellorizian of the Year is close to his heart. In pre-COVID times, the Liveris family regularly visited Kastellorizo to connect with their heritage. The importance Andrew places on his Kastellorizian heritage is reflected in this quote from a recent interview:
Mr Liveris and his wife, Paula.
‘I’m a product of immigrants, of courageous but impoverished people. I believe where we come from is, in a sense, who we are and where we are going. I think you prepare your future by using the memories and the lessons from your past. Your history shapes you. We are, after all, creatures of our environment and the legacy we’ve been given is most definitely a large part of our environment, so we have to care about that. A big piece of that is caring about the traditions and the cultural heritage that shaped you into who you are.’
Andrew Liveris was born in Darwin. His father and paternal grandparents were born in Kastellorizo. He married Paula in Brisbane, and their three children were born in Sydney, Hong Kong and Thailand. His main place of residence is now the United States.
The Federation of Ethnic Communities’ Council of Australia (FECCA) is inviting multicultural community groups to apply for funding to conduct their own communication activity on COVID-19 aimed at keeping their communities safe.
FECCA is working with the Federal Government and other organisations to fund Culturally and Linguistically Diverse (CALD) groups to provide important COVID-19 health messages to their communities.
Under a Commonwealth-funded Small Grants Fund, FECCA will work with CALD community groups to assist them in delivering critical health information and advice on the coronavirus pandemic and vaccination rollout.
FECCA Chief Executive Officer, Mohammad Al-Khafaji, said the program will support culturally appropriate and relevant information on COVID-19 and the vaccination delivery.
“The most effective way to deliver these important messages, is a community led response. We must support and equip them,” Mr Al-Khafaji said.
“The funding program will deliver grants for community groups to undertake and lead targeted communication activities on COVID at the grass roots level.”
The Small Grants program aims to achieve the following:
Foster community involvement and participation;
Overcome barriers to accessing information on COVID 19 and the vaccination program;
Provide opportunities for the community to identify local issues and respond to them;
Encourage communities that have a hesitancy about the vaccines; and
Encourage partnerships among community organisations in this space.
Multicultural communities are invited to apply for grants of up to $5,000. Further information can be found at www.fecca.org.au/smallgrants.
It’s another big day with regards to COVID-19 news across Australia. Here’s The Greek Herald‘s lowdown on what’s happening with borders and in the three lockdown states of New South Wales, Victoria and South Australia.
New South Wales:
NSW recorded 124 new locally acquired COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours to 8pm yesterday. It’s the highest daily number of new infections since the current Delta variant outbreak began on June 16.
The NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, said she expected numbers to continue to rise.
“We hit another record of 85,000 tests, which means in the last two days alone, we’ve had around 170,000 people get tested. As a result, unfortunately, case numbers have gone up again,” she said.
NSW recorded 124 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night. pic.twitter.com/4y3TvoDUpF
She said of the new cases, 48 were infectious while in the community.
“Now, given that number of infectious in the community, I’m expecting case numbers to go up even higher,” she said.
The Premier said the virus had, as predicted, continued to spread into the Canterbury-Bankstown local government area, spilling over from the Fairfield local government area.
The two main areas of transmission are in homes and workplaces, and the Premier warned there would be more hospitalisations.
NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian.
“Unfortunately, when our health experts are interviewing families within households, we’re learning that they have visited families in other households and the disease is spreading through that way but unfortunately, also, in workplaces,” she said.
The Premier said the case numbers were “very concerning.”
Victoria:
Victoria has recorded 26 new local COVID-19 cases, the highest daily figure this year.
All the new cases are linked to known outbreaks, and 24 of the 26 cases were in quarantine throughout their entire infectious period.
There were 43,674 test results received on Wednesday.
Victorians are in lockdown until at least July 27 to contain the outbreak. Photo: ABC News: Cristalyn Brown.
It brings the number of active infections in the state to 146, including those in hotel quarantine.
There are now more than 380 exposure sites across Victoria, with new locations being added late last night.
South Australia:
South Australia has today recorded two new cases connected to its latest COVID–19 outbreak, as the statewide lockdown continues.
They are a brother and sister in their 20s who went to the Tenafeate Creek winery north of Adelaide on Sunday afternoon.
This comes after the state reported six new cases of COVID-19 during a late night press conference on Wednesday.
😷Masks are mandatory in public when you leave your home for any of the 5 essential reasons.
You can use a single-use surgical mask or a cloth mask.
Health authorities said five of the cases were at the Tenafeate Creek Winery in Yattalunga, north of Adelaide, which was visited by someone with Covid on Sunday afternoon.
They included a man aged in his 40s, a woman and a man in their 50s, a woman in her 60s and a woman in her 80s.
The sixth new case was a young child under five, who attended the Greek on Halifax restaurant in Adelaide’s CBD on Saturday night.
The Greek on Halifax restaurant is in Adelaide’s CBD. Photo: ABC News: Matthew Smith.
“I would say that both the Greek on Halifax and this winery are examples of super-spreading events and yes it is very serious,” Chief Public Health Officer, Professor Nicola Spurrier, said on Wednesday.
Professor Spurrier said the winery at Yattalunga was often busy and The Greek on Halifax had a busy night on Saturday.
“So I think people in South Australia do need to prepare themselves for more cases, that’s certainly my expectation,” she said.
Queensland:
Queensland’s border will close to New South Wales from 1:00am tomorrow, acting Premier Steven Miles says.
There were no new cases of COVID-19 recorded in Queensland on Thursday.
📢 Three new hotspots declared in NSW
Following an increase of COVID-19 cases in NSW and further local restrictions announced by the state government, Queensland is declaring three LGAs a hotspot from 1am Thursday, 22 July.
Mr Miles said masks would still need to be worn for seven more days in 11 council areas around south-east Queensland, but other restrictions would be eased.
The Sunshine State also shut its border to South Australia and parts of New South Wales overnight due to the worsening COVID situation.
Western Australia:
Western Australia is imposing a hard border with South Australia, Premier Mark McGowan says.
It has been reclassified as a medium risk state, meaning only travelers with an exemption can enter WA. The hard border comes into force at midday today.
The administrators appointed to a group of companies at the centre of a $400 million alleged fraud say they are within 24 hours of reaching an agreement to sell the main business unit, Forum Group.
According to The Australian Financial Review (AFR), during an adjourned creditors meeting on Wednesday, Domenic Calabretta of Mackay Goodwin said negotiations were almost complete to sell Forum Group to an interested suitor, just before it was removed in its role over certain entities in the broader Forum group.
That includes Forum Finance, Forum Group Financial Services, Forum Enviro Australia.
Westpac is the largest creditor to the group and is chasing the whereabouts of more than $285 million of money it lent to Forum Finance.
A Federal Court hearing is scheduled for this afternoon.
Other banks have also revealed large exposures through Federal Court claims. Japan’s Sumitomo Mitsui has an exposure of about $100 million to the alleged fraudulent scheme while Société Générale says it has $12 million of exposure, the AFRreported.
On Wednesday, the bank successfully sought a replacement of Mackay Goodwin with McGrath Nicol as liquidators to the broader group. The AFR said this move was supported by other creditors, given the extensive inter-company transactions between the entities.
Meanwhile Basile Papadimitriou, also known as Bill Papas, the director of the Forum companies, has yet to return to Australia from Greece, after departing some time in late June.
France and the United States on Wednesday publicly criticised a move by Turkish Cypriot authorities to partially reopen an abandoned town in Cyprus for potential resettlement.
Turkish Cypriots said on Tuesday that part of Varosha would come under civilian control and people would be able to reclaim properties – angering Greek Cypriots who accused their Turkish rivals of orchestrating a land-grab by stealth.
Varosha, an eerie collection of derelict high-rise hotels and residences in a military zone nobody has been allowed to enter, has been deserted since a 1974 war split the island.
Varosha has been deserted since a 1974 war split the island of Cyprus.
French Foreign Minister, Jean-Yves Le Drian, discussed the matter with his Cypriot counterpart on Tuesday and will raise the topic at the United Nations, a spokesperson for Le Drian’s ministry said.
Cyprus is represented in the EU by an internationally recognised Greek Cypriot government. France presides over the UN Security Council this month.
“France strongly regrets this unilateral move, upon which there had been no consultations, which constitutes a provocation and harms re-establishing the confidence needed to get back to urgent talks over reaching a fair and long-lasting solution to the Cypriot question,” Le Drian’s spokesperson said.
In the US, Secretary of State, Antony Blinken, said any attempt to reopen Varosha would be at odds with UN resolutions and commitments to resume peace talks.
“The US is working with like-minded partners to refer this concerning situation to the UN security council and will urge a strong response,” he said in a statement.
In congressional testimony, US Undersecretary of State, Victoria Nuland, also condemned the Turkish resettlement plan.
Peace efforts have repeatedly floundered on the ethnically split island. A new Turkish Cypriot leadership, backed by Turkey, says a peace accord between two sovereign states is the only viable option.
Greek Cypriots reject a two-state deal for the island that would accord sovereign status to the breakaway Turkish Cypriot state that only Ankara recognises.
Sydney’s longest running delicatessen, Olympic Continental Deli, has closed its doors after 65 years in Bankstown Plaza, the Local News Plus has reported.
Olympic Deli was established by the Karpouzis family in 1956 and has been serving generations of locals in the Canterbury-Bankstown region ever since.
Panagiotis (Peter) Karpouzis migrated to Australia in 1948 from the village of Paleokipos, Lesvos. He became business partners with Manolis Lagoutaris in a milk bar at Guildford. An opportunity arose to lease premises on Chapel Street, Bankstown, and Manolis and Panagiotis instantly opened Olympic Deli.
At that time, delicatessens were the trojan horse of the Australian cuisine as they initially only imported goods across Europe to cater for the European migrants.
But Manolis and Panagiotis catered for all their customers’ range of needs and tastes, learning how to make small goods, smoke their meats and make their own continental sausages.
Manolis passed away in 1980 and Panagiotis retired four or five years ago, with daughter Joanne at the helm since then.
“I’ve worked here for 30 years and I’m now caring for dad and mum who has dementia,” Joanne told Local News Plus.
Sydney’s longest running delicatessen, Olympic Deli, closes its doors after 65 years. Photo: Vasilis Vasilas.
“I’ve been in mourning for the shop for a while now because it was getting too much for me. I have a nephew who doesn’t live in Australia but if he did, we may have continued as he loved it. It’s not easy to leave, me and my two sisters were born upstairs, this is our second home. But after working 50 or 60 hours a week, it’s time to say goodbye.
“Also COVID knocked us around last year and we had a big drop in business; most younger people now would rather shop at a supermarket, so it’s definitely time to go.
“Dad, mum, my sisters and myself would like to thank all of our wonderful customers over the years; we will miss you more than you know.”
