Chair of the US Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Bob Menendez, flew into Athens on Thursday.
The US Senator met with Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis where they discussed developments, the crisis in Afghanistan, as well as the relations and defense cooperation between the two countries.
“We are really looking forward to the completion of the US-Greece Defence Partnership Act of 2021, which I believe will be a milestone legislation that will further cement the progress we have made in our bilateral relations,” Mitsotakis said during the meeting.
It is a real pleasure to welcome the Chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee @SenatorMenendez to Athens, a very good friend of Greece, but also someone who has placed the strategic importance of the Eastern Mediterranean at the center of US foreign policy. pic.twitter.com/46WfOLV4nf
“We discussed our common goal for stability in the Eastern Mediterranean and I expressed that we look forward to the completion of the US-Greece Defense & Interparliamentary Partnership Act, a milestone that will further cement the progress we have made in our bilateral relations,” he went on to write on his Twitter account.
Menendez later attended the ‘Greece 2021’ Committee event at the Acropolis Museum and told an audience that he has and “will stand by Greece through all times”.
“Greece is on the cusp of a great and exciting future,” he said.
“We have come so far in such a short time … and there are no limits to what we can do together.”
About 300 public hospital workers in Greece have held a five-hour strike against mandatory COVID-19 vaccinations for public and private sector health care workers.
The workers rallied outside the health ministry in Athens on Thursday to protest against the government’s decision to suspend public and private health care workers who don’t receive at least one dose of the vaccine by September 1.
Health workers take part in a rally in Athens, Thursday, Aug. 26, 2021 (AP Photo/Thanassis Stavrakis)
The Panhellenic Federation of Public Hospital Employees (POEDIN) is Greece’s public hospital workers’ union and says while it supports the vaccines, it opposes making them mandatory.
“We will not leave defenseless the health care and social care workers who have a personal right to vaccination,” the union said.
“Patients are not at risk of catching the coronavirus from health care workers.”
“Hospitals are filling up again with patients suffering from the coronavirus which they caught in the community.”
Health Minister Vassilis Kikilias says the protestors of the measure were “small minorities” who advocate for issues related to the national health system.
“They are in the opposite direction of the majority of Greek society, which wants to protect public health,” he said.
August 27 marks the celebration of St Fanourios – a martyr known for helping the faithful find lost items, whether they be physical objects or metaphorical ones, such as hope.
Traditionally, on the eve of the St Fanourios’ feast day, a fanouropita is baked and taken to church for blessing at the Great Vespers, the evening service, in honour of the saint.
At the conclusion of the service, the fanouropites are shared among those in attendance. According to tradition, at least nine people should have a piece of the delicious and nistisimo cake.
Some faithful believe baking the cake will help them find something they have lost.
The traditional cake features nuts and raisins and is topped with sesame seeds or powdered sugar, depending on which version of the recipe has been passed down in your family and followed for generations.
The recipe below and its variations can be enjoyed any time of the year, adding seasonal fruits or a variety of nuts, if preferred, especially during periods of fasting.
Recipe by Eleni’s Kitchen and Bar:
Ingredients:
300 grams caster sugar.
380 grams freshly squeeze orange juice.
380 grams vegetable oil.
1 tsp baking soda.
1.5 tsp cinnamon.
1/2 tsp cloves.
60mL of cognac.
1/2 kilograms of self raising flour.
140 grams walnuts, roughly chopped.
80 grams dried fruits (sultanas, raisins).
1. Preheat oven to 160C fan forced. Grease pan with butter.
2. Beat the sugar, vegetable oil and half of the fresh orange juice in a large bowl, until the sugar melts.
3. In a separate bowl, combine the remaining orange juice with the baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and Cognac. Whisk until the baking soda froths.
4. Add the baking soda mixture to the bowl with the sugar and whisk thoroughly.
5. Add the flour, walnuts, and dried fruits. Mix until all of the ingredients are completely combined.
6. Transfer to pan and bake for 40 minutes.
7. Dust with icing sugar once cooled and present with mint leaves.
I recently had an article on COVID-19 placed on Facebook. I was surprised at the amount of negative feedback it attracted from people with strong anti-vaccine viewpoint. It’s the first time in my career I’ve seen such a push back to my medical advice.
People are anxious about the new vaccines and I get that. It is a new technology. The nature of the beast. There are rare but major side effects. Where is the long-term safety data?
Genuine community concerns are also being whipped up by a polarising political fear campaign by anti-vaxxer conspiracy websites. On top of this, there is mixed messaging by government and authorities, fueling vaccine hesitancy.
This all comes at a time of a much more contagious and equally virulent Delta variant – now circulating through all of Sydney and New South Wales (NSW) and spreading to the rest of Australia. And not just affecting older people. Half the new cases in NSW are now under 19 – and half of those are under 9 years.
COVID-19 is a particularly nasty, and mainly respiratory, illness. It has been likened to glue getting stuck in your throat and then spreading to your lungs. In that context the Delta variant is described as a super glue.
The disease is usually more serious in the unvaccinated and older people or those in poor health. It attacks the lungs, thus suffocating its victims. If you suffer serious Covid disease, you could end up on a ventilator for up to 5 or 6 weeks – if an ICU bed is available. Alone with the dedicated medical staff.
90% of people in Sydney ICU are unvaccinated. The other 10% have had only one jab – not fully vaccinated. So, for now in Australia, this has become a pandemic of the un-vaccinated.
Simple humanity requires us to ask, who is behind the anti vaxxers and conspiracy theorists and is there any truth in what they are saying?
The anti-vaxxers use methods that are particularly misleading. They hide behind fake science and made-up experts – but a simple Google search, both the website and “the expert”, are discredited or very outdated.
Dr Costas Costa is advocating for people to get vaccinated. Photo supplied.
While the majority of Australians are trying to do the right thing and follow the science, there is still a large number of undecided or vaccine hesitant in the community – including within the health professions.
They are easy prey of the radical anti-vaxxers who are emboldened, again via social media, including aggressive street demonstrations.
The anti-vaxxers claim you “don’t need the experimental vaccine”* because there is medical treatment if you catch COVID-19. The truth is we do NOT have a direct treatment for any virus – and that includes Covid-19. Viruses have no cell wall and are thus unaffected by antibiotics.
Hydroxy-chloroquine has been discredited. In southern states of US, authorities are inundated with calls about accidental poisoning with the anti-parasitic drug, Imervectin, where people are convinced to take it as prevention. Monoclonal antibodies are now available. These may be effective albeit untested on Delta, and are high cost.
Doctors currently support COVID-19 infected cases with fluids and aspirin, or dexamethasone to treat massive post viral inflammatory changes. If you get very sick, you get put on a ventilator (if there is a free bed). The rest is up to your body. Or you are advised to stay home and wait it out in isolation.
On Tuesday, a 30-year-old woman positive for COVID was found dead at home.
The best treatment we have for COVID-19 is prevention- and the best prevention is the vaccine (together with other preventive measures – such as masking, isolation of contacts, periodic lockdowns, good ventilation, and purpose-built quarantine centres).
Although people worry about the new vaccines being “too strong”, the fact is that all respiratory vaccine products display waning immunity, added to the problem of immune evasion by new variants such as Delta. Especially in older age groups it can fall to below 50%.
In Israel, the US and in parts of Europe they are now starting on the third jab -only 6 months after the second, to increase vaccine effect back to 90%. A sad and dangerous situation for all of us, when you consider high risk groups in poor countries are yet to receive their first jab and that we have to have another jab!
So, the question being pondered by the unvaccinated is who are you going to trust in making a complex health decision where the ultimate price may be your life, the life of a loved one – or loss of lifestyle due to the new case numbers remaining high?
Big Pharma that is profiteering? The government whose very survival now tied to high vaccination numbers. The anti-vaxxer extremists? The GP with a fridge full of AZ? No wonder Australians now increasingly turn to their community leaders and the respected independent experts.
It is of course everyone’s right to refuse the vaccine – and we know from studies that 10% of the population will absolutely refuse any vaccine.
If you choose to stay unvaccinated then you should logically self-isolate indefinitely at home – for your own safety and the safety of others. Logic would say stay away from airlines/ airports, from indoor sports events, theatres, restaurants and public transport. But the unvaccinated could justifiably argue, so should the vaccinated – as vaccine effect can fall to 50%
At least, we could ask you to please stop circulating those anti-vaxxer videos on social media or at least do a Google search and avoid re-posting anything from a discredited anti science and anti-vaxxer conspiracy source. Otherwise, you are doing yourself and your friends a great disservice.
The medical advice is to get vaccinated – because it will protect you somewhat, and reduce the spread of the disease somewhat, and get back to normal life, somewhat. But we need to be straight with people. Vaccination won’t fix everything. It won’t stop you catching or passing on the virus to others.
It won’t even guarantee you not getting very sick or even dying of COVID-19. But it should reduce your risk of serious illness or death. And for the public health system, it will mean you are 10 times less likely to get hospitalised. And 50% less likely to pass it on. Together with the other public health measures with which we now very familiar, these imperfect vaccines offer us some protection and chance of some return to normality.
For now, the simple message should be that vaccination is a part of the way forward. We have to pass through that door. But what lays beyond is yet to be written. The only thing we are sure of is that it will not look like what we had before. But we need to get through that door.
The ancient Greeks had a saying: He whom the Gods would destroy, they first make crazy.
To us, in the mainstream medical profession, refusing the vaccine without good medical reason, is crazy.
In the end, it’s your choice. But who in their right mind wants to live (or die) alone?
Dr Con Costa OAM is a GP and Public Health Physician based in Sydney. He has no shares in Pfizer, Az, CSL or any undeclared private interest in vaccination or pandemic response.
*On Tuesday, it was announced that the US FDA has fully approved the Pfizer vaccine as a preventive treatment for COVID-19 in over 16-year-olds.
Westmead Hospital has been forced to enact disaster management plans, buckling under the strain of surging COVID-19 numbers in NSW.
In a note to colleagues last night seen by Nine News, Acting General Manager, Jenelle Matic, said the hospital was “no longer operating in a business-as-usual environment.”
The facility put a 24-hour pause on accepting any new coronavirus patients as it is already managing about 1,500 in the community and 121 in the wards.
57-year-old courier, John Pelekanos, told Nine News he knows the pressure Westmead Hospital is under better than most after two stints inside the facility with COVID-19.
“Beds were full, there were machines all over the place and the second time I left from [my house] I was in the car park for about four or five hours before I could see a doctor,” Mr Pelekanos told Nine News.
Although COVID-19 patients are now being sent away from the hospital to others as far away as Wollongong and the Northern Beaches, NSW Health Minister, Brad Hazzard, insisted at a press conference on Wednesday the health system is not overwhelmed.
“I want to assure the community that we have been working as a health system on this since January and February last year and ensuring we have stepped up the number of available ICU beds, and staff working in those intensive care units, ventilators, but Westmead Hospital is typical of the sorts of pressures you’d expect when you got a major hospital in the middle of the epicentre of the virus outbreak,” Mr Hazzard said.
For Mr Pelekanos, his hospital experience has seen him switch from a ‘vaccine sceptic to a believer.’
“‘Uh it can’t happen to me,’ but you know what? It can happen to you, your mother, your father, your brother, your sister, your uncle. It can be dire,” he said.
Emma Georgiades is an Adelaide-based radio presenter at Southern Cross Austereo and says she combines her presenting skills with skills acquired during her lengthy tenure as a schoolteacher to deliver workshops for young women.
Her work with Enlighten Education to deliver confidence-building and self-love workshops has earned her the recognition of a Westfield Local Hero.
“I wanted to combine my skills in education and presenting to really make an impact to help young women believe in themselves,” Georgiades tells The Greek Herald.
“We currently run mainly in many of the independent, Catholic and government schools.”
Georgiades was nominated by her community and is the running to be one of three 2021 local heroes up for a $10,000 grant for Enlighten Education.
“It’s amazing that the work is being recognized… Hopefully, if I’m successful, [the grant] will provide funding into the program and we can reach as many girls as possible.”
Emily Georgiades is a full-time radio presenter.
She has studied across at least three different universities and was a primary and secondary school teacher between 2009 and 2019, finishing up at St. Ignatius’ College in Athelstone.
She says she saw the impact low self-esteem and lack of resilience has on young women as a teacher.
“At that age, everyone’s trying to find their place. We’re living in a world where people feel judged. I think social media has a lot to do with that,” she says.
“People are putting their worth down to how many likes they have and how many followers they have and I think that that’s really damaging to our self worth, especially for young girl’s.”
“I think that that can cause impact lots of areas of life and friendships and relationships is definitely one of them.”
Georgiades has been an educational presenter and motivational speaker at Enlighten Education since 2018.
Enlighten Education is a for-profit business which offers workshops to help guide and give teenage girls the tools to navigate their formative years.
“A lot of the schools tend to focus on friendships, resilience, anxiety… I think they’re the main sort of areas of focus. We target teenage girls, really; so, from the ages of 10, 11 years old to 16. they’re the main issues that we’re finding are arising,” she says.
“I don’t think these messages should just stop just with teenage girls. I think it’s equally as important that we keep that positivity and that positive messages of self-love going. Since last year.”
She is 20 episodes into her ‘Empowerhouse Emma G’ “passion project” podcast which carries her motivational speaking from outside of the classroom and onto the wide web.
“I’m a grown woman and I know that I certainly need these messages reinforced and that’s why I’ve developed my podcast ‘Empower House’ and that is designed to inspire people to… live authentically and [be] yourself.”
Vote for your Westfield Local Hero here; voting closes Monday 30 August.
A man charged over a crash that killed a senior police officer and a mother-of-two in Urrbrae last year has been found not guilty by reason of mental incompetence.
Harrison Kitt, 21, was charged with two counts of causing death by dangerous driving and one count of causing harm by dangerous driving.
Senior police officer, Joanne Shanahan (nee Panayiotou), and mother, Tania McNeill, died in the crash at the intersection of Cross Road and Fullarton Road at Urrbrae on April 25, 2020.
According to ABC News, Judge Paul Muscat said he agreed with expert reports from psychiatrists and found Mr Kitt not guilty of the offences by reason of mental incompetence.
Harrison Kitt, centre, leaves court after being found not guilty. Photo: ABC News / Claire Campbell.
But he said Mr Kitt would be liable to supervision and has ordered several reports to assess whether he should be detained or released into the community with conditions.
‘We hope they can forgive Harry’:
Outside court, Mr Kitt’s mother Kathy said not a day had passed since the “terrible crash” that her family had not thought about the impact on the victims’ families.
Mr Kitt’s parents, Andrew and Kathy, read a statement to the media outside court. Photo: ABC News / Claire Campbell.
“Their losses are unimaginable; we hope they can find it in their hearts to forgive Harry for what happened even though it might be difficult for them to accept,” she said, fighting back tears.
“It was not his fault but the fault of a terrible and debilitating disorder that none of us knew he had.”
She said her family would also have to cope with the impact forever, but she loved Harry “dearly” and would stand by and support him.
“We are conscious that today’s announcement … will have mixed reactions in the community,” she said.
“Some will find it difficult to understand that what occurred can be explained by mental illness.”
People across NSW who have received both doses of a COVID-19 vaccine will be allowed more freedoms next month after NSW hit the target of six million jabs.
This comes after the states recorded 1,029 new COVID-19 cases in the 24 hours to 8:00pm last night. It’s the highest daily number in any state or territory since the start of the pandemic.
Another three people have died from the virus – the youngest, a man in his 30s.
The lockdown in regional NSW has been extended to midnight on Friday, September 10. It was due to end this weekend.
NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian, also announced today that after consultation with Dr Kerry Chant and her team, as well as the NSW Chief Psychiatrist Dr Murray Wright, the following individual freedoms will be allowed for adults who have received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.
NSW recorded 1,029 new locally acquired cases of COVID-19 in the 24 hours to 8pm last night.
Of these locally acquired cases, 185 are linked to a known case or cluster – 160 are household contacts and 25 are close contacts – source of infection for 844 cases under investigation pic.twitter.com/6VcaKAXjno
For those who live outside the LGAs of concern, outdoor gatherings of up to five people (including children, all adults must be vaccinated) will be allowed in a person’s LGA or within 5km of home.
For those who live in the LGAs of concern households with all adults vaccinated will be able to gather outdoors for recreation (including picnics) within the existing rules (for one hour only, outside curfew hours and within 5km of home). This is in addition to the one hour allowed for exercise.
Ms Berejiklian thanked the millions of people across NSW who came forward to receive their vaccine, helping hit the six million doses target.
NSW Premier, Gladys Berejiklian.
“We are so grateful for every person who comes forward to get vaccinated because the more jabs we get into arms, the sooner we can lift restrictions,” Ms Berejiklian said.
“We appreciate the community’s patience in the lead up to 13 September, this additional time will allow the recent surge of vaccines to take effect.”
As part of the roadmap when the following targets are hit, freedoms will be as follows:
70 per cent full vaccination: a range of family, industry, community and economic restrictions to be liftedfor those who are vaccinated.
80 per cent full vaccination: further easing of restrictions on industry, community and the economy.
Ms Berejiklian said if current NSW vaccination rates continued, the state was on track to reach 80 per cent by the first two weeks of October.
The Greek Community of Melbourne (GCM) will launch a pop-up vaccination hub at its Greek Orthodox Church of St George in Thornbury to help the local community get their COVID-19 vaccine.
The GCM has partnered with DPV Health to administer COVID-19 vaccines from Friday 27 August until Monday 30 August.
Here’s a rundown of what you need to know before the clinic opens tomorrow:
WHEN:
• Friday, 27 August from 9AM to 6:30PM • Saturday, 28 August from 9AM to 6:30PM • Sunday, 29 August from 9AM to 6:30PM • Monday, 30 August from 9AM to 6:30PM.
WHERE:
• St George Church Hall at 66 St David Street, Thornbury.
BOOK YOUR VACCINATION TIME:
• Use the online booking system. • Call the Coronavirus Hotline on 1800 675 398 – for an interpreter, press 0.
The AstraZeneca and Pfizer vaccines are available at the pop-up clinic.
BRING WITH YOU:
• Medicare Card or IHI (if you have one). • Valid form of identification (for example, driver’s licence, proof of age card or passport). This will need to show their name and date of birth.
SECOND DOSES:
• Pfizer: open Friday 24th & Saturday 25th September 2021. • AstraZeneca: open Friday 26th & Saturday 27th November 2021.
PFIZER OR ASTRAZENECA:
• Everyone in Victoria can get a free COVID-19 vaccination. • People will be offered both AstraZeneca and Pfizer based on their age. • COVID-19 vaccines are currently available for everyone aged 16 years and over. • Anyone aged 16-59 years will be able to receive the Pfizer vaccine. • Anyone aged 18-59 years will be able to choose to receive either Pfizer or AstraZeneca. • Those aged 60 and over will continue to receive AstraZeneca. • Young people aged 12 -15 years can get a free COVID-19 vaccination (Pfizer) if they have an underlying medical condition or are Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander.
Bill Papastergiadis has been appointed as a new Commissioner of the Victorian Multicultural Commission, an independent body that acts as conduit between Victoria’s multicultural communities and Government.
Mr Papastergiadis long been involved in multicultural affairs, gained though his elected position as the President of the Greek Community of Melbourne & Victoria.
Through this role, Mr Papastergiadis has devoted much of his time to the promotion and welfare of the Greek Community of Melbourne & Victoria, arguably the largest Greek community outside of Greece.
Bill Papastergiadis (centre) is President of the Greek Community of Melbourne & Victoria.
This work has involved him in many multicultural programs, as have his roles as Chairman of South Melbourne Football Club and numerous other positions.
In adding this new appointment to his significant body of community work, Mr Papastergiadis says: “I am excited to bring my experience and insights to this important role with the VMC.”
“I strongly believe the richness of Victoria’s diverse multicultural communities is one of our greatest strengths as a state,” Mr Papastergiadis continued.
“I am honoured to play a part in advocating on behalf of all multicultural communities and committed to continuing the good work of Commission in its valuable mission to help to strengthen the relationships of these communities with government and with each other.”
Bill Papastergiadis has also met with Australia Prime Minister, Scott Morrison (centre).
Following the announcement of the eight new appointees to the VMC, Victorian Minister for Multicultural Affairs, Ros Spence comments: “The new commissioners bring valuable experience and I look forward to working with them to ensure we are supporting multicultural communities to the best of our ability.”
“The Commissioners are a vital link between Victoria’s multicultural communities and Government – and those relationships have never been more important,” Ms Spence said.
The seven other new Commissioners appointed to the VMC include: Lunorphare (Luna) Folly (Youth Commissioner), Abiola Akinbiyi (Community Representative Commissioner), Tarang Chawla, Jennifer Huppert, Nyangak (Lizzy) Kuoth, Mohamed Mohideen and Silvia Renda.
