Researchers in Greece say they are close to launching a molecular test to detect COVID-19 which could provide a cheaper alternative to imported kits and uninterrupted access to supplies.
Greece currently uses diagnostic kits imported from a variety of suppliers abroad. The potential new test would use nasal swab samples, two researchers said, and could be available “in the coming future”.
Both researchers requested anonymity because of the sensitivity of the project.
Generally, tests both for the virus itself and for the antibodies the immune system produces to fight the infection are becoming more widely available, but they are not perfect. The tests can come back with false positives, false negatives or confoundingly ambiguous results.
A significant number of people may be reluctant to take a test for COVID-19, for various different reasons. Image from Shutterstock
The researchers said their test had a more than a 90 percent accuracy rate. Research centres and at least two publicly-funded Greek universities are involved in the project, launched in February, they said.
In an interview this week, Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis called the research “great work’.
“We won’t be depending on tests from abroad, and I believe we will be in a position to make some significant announcements on research into therapy protocols,” Mitsotakis told Skai radio.
Greece moved swiftly to contain the virus outbreak by initiating a broad lockdown in March, recording less than 4000 cases, and less than 200 deaths.
Researchers said they had also developed a test with ‘more than 90 percent accuracy’ which can detect COVID-19 antibodies, a sign that someone had contracted the virus.
Research was also underway into how antibodies could be used in a potential cure, they said.
The widow of slain Sydney underworld figure John Macris has given evidence in a Greek court saying she is relieved the Bulgarian brothers accused of his murder were arrested, 9 News reports.
The businessman, 46, who had links to organised crime, was shot dead outside his home in the Athens seaside suburb of Glyfada on October 31, 2018.
CCTV from the night of the murder showed a man in a baseball cap firing a 9mm handgun through the side window of Macris’ car before unloading more shots as he attempted to flee the fire. Mr Macris, a father-of-two, died at the scene.
His wife, Viktoria Karida, a former Playboy model and television star, told the Athens court she recognised one of the alleged killers from the footage.
Yuliyanov J Raychev Serafim and his brother Milen Raychevhas were both charged with first degree murder, with the brothers having links to organised crime in Sydney before Macris moved to Greece in 2013.
Viktoria Karida, widow of slain Sydney gangster John Macris, arrives in court in Greece. Picture: Spyros Bakalis.
The brothers have denied the charges saying they could not be hitmen because professionals would not have used their own names to check into hotels and their own passports.
However, CCTV of the shooting shows a man wearing clothes similar to those found in Serafim’s hotel room, along with a receipt.
Overnight the court heard claims the men had been stalking Mr Macris before he was shot dead.
“That day my husband told his friend that Serafim and his brother were in the same cafeteria as John was,” Ms Karida told the court, according to a translation of her evidence.
Milen Raychev, who is accused of being an accessory to the murder of John Macris, is lead into court in Athens by police. Picture: Spyros Bakalis.
Ms Karida spoke of her relief at her husband’s alleged killers being taken into custody.
“Thank god they got arrested and couldn’t kill another one as they did with John,” she said.
Ms Karida identified Serafim from footage taken from the security cameras outside her home.
“I am a person of detail, I am sure that he is the guy. He runs and walks in the same way. The car they rented has been recorded by the CCTV of the house.
Lawyers for the brothers previously told 9News they deny the charges and knowing Mr Macris.
“From the very beginning they have denied the charges,” defence lawyer Alexandros Lykourezos said last week when the murder trial began.
“They insist they are innocent. They insist. We hope and believe we can prove that.”
Hundreds of children were being evacuated from a summer camp in Greece as a precaution after a forest fire broke out near Corinth and strong winds fanned the blaze.
The fire department said more than 80 firefighters, two water-dropping planes and one helicopter were sent to tackle the fire near Corinth in south-central Greece on Thursday.
Strong winds were blowing in the area, hampering efforts to extinguish the blaze.
Authorities said the summer camp with around 400 children was being evacuated. Mayor Vassilis Nanopoulos said the children were transferred to accommodation in nearby Xylokeriza.
Wildfires fires are common in Greece during the country’s hot, dry summers. In 2018, more than 100 people died when a fast-moving forest fire swept through the seaside settlement of Mati, northeast of the Greek capital, Athens.
The fire department said it would be carrying out patrols by aircraft on Friday as well as joint ground patrols with the police and army in areas where the fire risk was elevated due to weather conditions. The areas include the wider Athens region, other parts of mainland Greece and several Greek islands.
Eight-year-old Greek piano prodigy Stelios Kerasidis has dazzled guests once again, this time in front of Athenians at Temple of Olympian Zeus in celebration of Greece taking over presidency of the Council of Europe.
The piano wonder child started performing in public at the age of five. At age six, he became the youngest Greek musician to perform a Chopin waltz at Carnegie Hall.
The talented performer then penned an “isolation waltz” inspired by the coronavirus pandemic. The composition is a moving piece of music dedicated to all the people who continue to suffer across the world from the disease, as well as those who are forced to stay at home in isolation.
Here's a clip from Stelios Kerasidis, 8, performing last night at the Temple of Olympian Zeus to mark the start of the Greek Chairmanship of the Council of Europe. 🎼#Greece HT @coe2020grpic.twitter.com/UVJTBWDzyM
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis congratulated Kerasidis for his performance.
President Katerina Sakellaropoulou on Wednesday evening addressed the event inaugurating Greece’s presidency of the Council of Europe at the Temple of Olympian Zeus in Athens.
The president hailed a “special opportunity” for a country that suffered during the economic crisis and came through due to the sacrifices of its people as well as its membership of the European Union.
Photo: Greek Reporter
Greece has since become “an international example for managing a health crisis,” Sakellaropoulou added, referring to the country’s relative success to date in containing the spread of the coronavirus.
The event was opened by Alternate Foreign Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis, who is the chair of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.
Following the ceremony, the Temple of Olympian Zeus was illuminated red, marking Greece’s take over of the chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe.
The ancient temple of Zeus is illuminated with red light in front of the ancient Acropolis hill during a ceremony in Athens tonight to mark Greece taking over the chairmanship of the Committee of Ministers of the Council of Europe. @apnews/@PGiannakouris
Violence has broken out in Athens during a mass demonstration against plans to curb public protests. A group of protesters hurled gasoline bombs at riot police outside parliament, while police responded with tear gas and flash grenades.
The demonstrations were being held in Athens and around 40 other Greek cities and towns to oppose the plans by the center-right government.
More than 10,000 peaceful protesters had gathered in central Athens, many supporting a labor union backed by the Greek Communist Party. A separate group of several dozen youths was involved in the violence that sent other demonstrators, including families with young children, scrambling to move away from the clouds of tear gas.
Protesters throw patrol bombs at riot police outside the Greek Parliament during a protest against new protest law in Athens, on Thursday, July 9, 2020. AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis’ year-old conservative government says it is determined to stop small protest gatherings from disrupting traffic and commercial activity.
“The right to hold peaceful gatherings must be protected … but it must be done in a way that will not interrupt the activity of an entire city,” Mitsotakis told parliament on the second and final day of debate.
Critics of the proposed reforms include the Athens Bar Association and parliament’s own legislative review committee. They argue that plans to prosecute protesters attending unsanctioned rallies and to hold protest organizers responsible for damage caused if rallies turn violent are legally troublesome.
The government said it had added several clarifications to the bill to address those concerns. The bill is expected to be approved later Thursday.
School teachers dressed in black take part in a demonstration against new protest law in Athens, on Thursday, July 9, 2020. AP Photo/Petros Giannakouris
Opposition leader Alexis Tsipras, who was prime minister in 2015-2019, accused the government of introducing the measures to allow heavy-handed policing. He predicted the pandemic-driven recession would trigger large labor protests in the fall.
“You fear what is coming — the reaction of society, the anger of society — and that is why you are preparing to give us repression,” Tsipras told parliament.
Greece is expected to suffer a major recession this year due to the impact of the pandemic, losing 9% of its annual output, according to European Union projections.
Michailidis will make his first appearance in the UFC on July 15, becoming the first Greek athlete to enter the United States MMA competition.
“I am the second Greece-born athlete, but I am the first guy to actually make it to the UFC from Greece,” Michailidis told BJPENN.com.
“I didn’t move somewhere else to make it to the UFC, like the United States. Over the years, I have traveled to the Allstars Training Centre in Sweden for my camps but day-to-day I live and train in Greece at EFL MMA.
“Now that Greece is on the map of the MMA world, I think in the near future you will see that there are many competitive fighters in Greece.”
The 31-year-old fighter stepped in on just 10 days’ notice to fight former Cage Warriors light heavyweight belt-holder Modestas Bukauskas, after the English-Lithuanian fighter’s original opponent was forced off due to a positive COVID-19 test.
The Greek fighter was initially supposed to compete for the Cage Warriors middleweight strap this past April. As COVID-19 entered the arena, the event was cancelled, delaying his debut for the UFC.
“My fight for the Cage Warriors middleweight championship belt which was canceled this year due to COVID–19 was actually the second Cage Warriors fight I’ve had fall through. I was previously supposed to fight Jack Marshman for the middleweight championship belt but he was signed to the UFC and our fight was dropped.
Photo: TS Production
“After those two cancellations, my management team organized the Contender Series fight in September, and shortly after we were offered the chance to fight in the UFC, which we couldn’t pass up.”
Before reaching the UFC, Michailidis fought all around the world for multiple promotions, in the likes of Bellator, Fight Nights Global, King of the Cage, and Titan Fighting Championship. He’s now only the second Greece-born athlete to compete in the UFC.
Before him, there was American-Greek lightweight Anthony Christodoulou, who racked up two losses and no victories during his time with the promotion.
“There are a number of reasons that MMA is not currently thriving in Greece,” the proud Hellenic concluded.
“Most kids need to work for money and make the time commitment needed to train. MMA is also a relatively young sport in Greece and has only been around for the last ten years. The path that me and my team have made to the UFC wasn’t available before. We’ve had to travel a lot to find a way to get to the UFC and the time and cost of this is an insurmountable hurdle for most Greeks.
“Now that we’ve made it, I think that this will encourage and open the doors to many more Greek fighters to join the UFC.”
Who ever said you couldn’t transfer your passion to a
career? Greek Australian food photographer Ruth Bardis has maintained her
passion for Greek food throughout her entire life, sharing it with her
thousands of followers.
Taking what she has learnt from her family, paired with
intricate research, Ruth has released two award winning cookbooks showing the
world that there is more to Greek food than “just the Greek salad”.
“I researched, I went to Greece and went to Asia-Pacific
regions. I looked at their specific produce and regional recipes, and I delved
to find what they cook in each region,” Bardis said to The Greek Herald.
Ruth’s second cookbook, ‘Beyond the Greek Salad: Regional Foods All Around Greece’, explores the various cuisines of the Greek regions and the differences between them.
Photos from Ruth’s Instagram page GreekFoodPhotography. Photo: Instagram
“This book expanded on other regions and showed that Greek
food is way more than the Greek salad.
“We have such a plethora of recipes that some Greeks don’t
even know if they don’t come from a specific region.”
The cookbook is a continuation of her first book ‘Hellenic Kenella’, which looked closer at how Greek migrants brought their food to Australia upon arrival. Released only four months ago, her second cookbook has received multiple awards, including a New York Independent Publisher Award.
Maintaining Greek food’s authenticity
Any Greek will tell you that the best Greek food isn’t found
in a cookbook, but through family history. However, Ruth believes that Greeks
are in danger of losing the “essence” of Greek food though apathy of the
younger generation.
“We’re losing the essence of our authentic cultural food,”
Ruth said.
“That generation’s just not cooking, or our yiayia and
mothers aren’t really documenting foods.”
Ruth compiled her cookbooks to make sure that the younger generation keep hold of the food traditions that have been passed on for years. The true test, however, is making sure that each recipe upholds its simple design.
Awards received for Ruth’s book. Photo: Instagram
“I think it’s my generation that don’t have anything written
down.”
“It’s authentic, it’s not westernised, so I haven’t actually
used any of the westernised changes brought into Australia.”
“I’ve just looked at home, traditional, simple food without all the bells and whistles and I think there has been a bit of a void in the book world for that.”
Making a cookbook doesn’t come without a love for food
Ruth has been strongly influenced by her family when writing
her books. Growing up in Melbourne with Greek migrant parents, much of the food
in the early stages of her life had some sort of Greek influence.
“For us going to the Victoria market was out highlight of
the week,” Ruth fondly remembers.
Ruth’s family even went that extra step that many families
may not have reached, importing water from Greece. Claiming she had “never
drunk tap water” until she left the house, Ruth admires the dedication of her
family to bring the homeland to Australia.
“I remember even us growing up, our antibiotic was Greek
honey. Food was our medicine.”
While there’s nothing in the works yet, the Greek Australian
author didn’t rule out a possible addition to her cookbook collection.
“The eight regions… I could delve further and research them.
Look at their produce and go from there.”
“Mathematics runs in the blood of the Greeks. I tell my students that Pythagoras was my uncle and quite a few of them believe it,” laughs 73-year-old Saki George Ganella OAM, who was recognised in the Queen’s Birthday Honours List this year.
It’s clear that after 50 years as a maths teacher at Melbourne High School, Mr Ganella still loves what he does and has no plans to slow down any time soon. And why should he? His journey to get to where he is today was one of immense hardship, courage and as he likes to call it, “motivation.”
Arrival in Australia:
Mr Ganella was born in 1947 in Kozani-Grevena, northern Greece, “right smack in the middle of a Greek Civil War.” His father, a bank manager in Kozani, was killed during the war and so at the age of three in 1950, Mr Ganella’s mother decided to flee Greece for Melbourne.
“My mother wanted to seek
a better life for us. We were lucky enough to live with my aunty and her family
in Melbourne until 1958, when my mum met and remarried a lovely man named Peter
Pesnikas,” Mr Ganella tells The Greek Herald.
Mr Ganella has been teaching at Melbourne High School for 50 years.
“Peter was fortunate enough to have a fish shop in Chapel St. The fish shop was only five doors down from Toorak Road in Melbourne, which is 200 metres from Melbourne High School. So in a sense, the long journey from Greece to Chapel Street almost forced me to go to Melbourne High School. It was meant to be.”
When the student becomes
a teacher:
And meant to be it was. As
a young boy, Mr Ganella recalls sitting in his stepfather’s fish shop watching
Melbourne High School students walk by. Impressed by their smart uniforms and
confidence, he decided he would attend the school and make his family proud.
“The boys in uniform with caps looked strange to this Greek boy at the fish shop,” Mr Ganella laughs.
“But because my mother brought me up to be very motivated and aspirational, I tried my hardest and was accepted into Melbourne High School for my senior year. Once there, I studied the highest level mathematics subjects I could.”
The rest is history. Mr
Ganella completed his senior studies, taught maths in the small Victorian rural
town of Kerang for two years, before being “lucky enough” to be transferred
back to his beloved Melbourne High School – where he has remained for 50 years
since 1971.
“I love the students. In
my 50 years at Melbourne High School, the demographics have changed. When I was
there as a student, there were a lot of Greeks and Jewish boys and now they’re
eastern, Asian boys and no matter how the demographic changes, the commitment
and passion is wonderful,” Mr Ganella says.
“Very quickly they become Melbourne High School boys and that’s what has kept me going all these years.”
His future plans:
With such an illustrious career, which actually also includes a stint as a Commanding Officer in the 415 Squadron Australian Air Force Cadets, it’s clear that Mr Ganella deserves a well-earned break from teaching. Something he’s planning on taking full advantage of next year.
“I’ve applied for leave next year and for some strange reason I’m aiming to retire at 75, which I think is a good innings. I’ve been advised to retire while I can still walk out of the school,” Mr Ganella says.
But not without giving one final word of advice to the students who have held such a special place in his heart over the years.
“Follow your passion. If
you’re really passionate about something, the chances are that you will do well
at it… But if you don’t follow your passion and you do something for monetary
gains and you don’t like it, to my mind, that’s a terrible life.”
Wise words from a very
wise man.
The Greek version of this
article will be in print on July 11, 2020.
The Greek community of Saint Nectarios Greek Orthodox Parish in Burwood are set to launch ‘The Cottage Kitchen’ next week to provide free home made meals to those in need due to COVID-19.
The Cottage can be found at 5 Burleigh Street, Burwood, and will be open everyTuesday from 12 pm to 1.30 pm. The program has been made possible with the help of a $5000 grant offered to the Parish by Multicultural NSW.
“We wanted to start The Cottage Kitchen for a while as the pandemic has created a harsh economic and social environment, making life challenging for many in the community,” Secretary of the Greek Orthodox Parish and Community of Burwood and District, Christina Efthymiades, tells The Greek Herald.
WE'RE PROUD TO LAUNCH THE COTTAGE KITCHEN – FREE WEEKLY MEALS FOR THOSE IN NEED | With support from Multicultural NSW…
“But we had limited resources until we received the grant from Multicultural NSW. It’s such a great initiative that has helped us address needs in the local community.”
Whilst the program is a pick up service, meals can also be delivered to Parishioners within the Parish and Community boundaries who have mobility issues.
Funding for the service is expected to last for approximately three months but depending on need and support from Parishioners, the program may be extended.
The Greek Welfare Centre in Newtown and the NSW Greek Orthodox Community in Lakemba also received the $5000 grants.
For further enquiries on The Cottage Kitchen please contact Father George Liangas on 0415 124 709.
George Savvides, a member of the SBS board since 2017 and acting chair since June 3, has been announced as the new chair of the broadcaster for a period of five years, effective today.
Savvides replaces Dr Bulent Hass Dellal AO who had held the position for a decade – the maximum period a chair can hold the position for.
Savvides said on his appointment: “It’s a great honour to have the opportunity to chair SBS.”
“Over 45 years, SBS has played a vital role in informing and shaping Australia, not only meeting the needs of multicultural communities and our First Nations people, but helping all Australians explore and celebrate our diversity. It is a truly unique organisation, supporting economic and civil participation, and striving to inspire all Australians to experience the benefits of social inclusion,” Savvides added.
“SBS’s role for the next 45 years will be even more important as our nation’s diversity increases, and I look forward to working with the board, executive and the entire SBS team to ensure SBS continues to play a special role in Australia’s future.
“I also acknowledge former chair, Dr Bulent Hass Dellal AO, who I had the great privilege to work with. I thank Hass for his inspiring and passionate advocacy for SBS and the role it plays in Australia.”
Minister for Communications, Cyber Safety and the Arts, Paul Fletcher, congratulated Savvides on his appointment.
“Mr Savvides is an eminent Australian and a highly respected businessman. I am pleased that he is stepping into this position and have no doubt that as chair he will continue to make a valuable contribution to the Board of SBS,” Fletcher said.
SBS Managing Director, James Taylor, said: “On behalf of the Board and SBS, I’d like to congratulate George on his appointment.”
“Since being appointed as Deputy Chair in 2017, and most recently as Acting Chair, he has played a key role in ensuring SBS is a contemporary media organisation in a rapidly changing sector, serving and celebrating a contemporary and diverse multicultural society. I look forward to continuing to work with George and the SBS Board as we evolve in service of all Australians.”
Savvides’ experience spans corporate governance, business and finance, alongside an “extensive knowledge” of the broadcaster itself.
He was appointed to the board as deputy chair on February 23, 2017 and is the current chair of the SBS board remuneration committee and a member of SBS’ community advisory committee.
Savvides was managing director of Medibank and ASX-listed Medibank Private for 14 years until 2016.
Savvides also has more than 30 years’ experience in the Australian and New Zealand health care sector. He was managing director of Medibank and ASX-listed Medibank Private for 14 years until 2016. He has also served as managing director and CEO of Sigma Pharmaceuticals, Smith & Nephew and CIG Healthcare.
He has an honours degree in Industrial Engineering from UNSW and a masters of business administration from UTS. Savvides served as chair of World Vision Australia for 18 years, and is a former chair of Kings Transport Group Limited and Macquarie University Hospital. He is currently a board member of Insurance Australia Group Limited and NZX-listed Ryman Healthcare, and chair of Next Science Pty Limited.
