Greece has seen a surge in vaccine take-up just one day after Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced people over 60 would be fined 100 euros monthly if they refused to get a COVID-19 shot.
On Twitter, Mitsotakis said that prior to implementing the vaccine mandate, the daily rate of new vaccination appointments for those over 60 was roughly 2,000. After the announcement, “almost 20,000 appointments have been made.”
Πριν ανακοινώσουμε το μέτρο του αναγκαίου εμβολιασμού ο ημερήσιος ρυθμός των νέων ραντεβού για τις ηλικίες άνω των 60 ήταν περίπου 2.000. Από τότε που ανακοινώσαμε το μέτρο, έχουν κλειστεί σχεδόν 20.000 ραντεβού. Δηλαδή κλείστηκαν σχεδόν 10 φορές περισσότερα. pic.twitter.com/x7gPsDNkYk
“That is, appointments are up almost 10 times,” he wrote.
Before the new measure was set out by the government, only 60,000 of the 580,000 unvaccinated Greeks over 60 had received the vaccine in November. Greece’s vaccination ratio in this group is around 83 percent compared to Portugal’s 98 percent.
Mitsotakis said he struggled with the decision to implement the vaccine mandate, but added it was necessary to protect the more than half a million elderly Greeks who had failed to get the jab.
Σήμερα 9 στους 10 Έλληνες που πεθαίνουν είναι άνω των 60 ετών, 7 στους 10 διασωληνωμένους στις ΜΕΘ ανήκουν στην ίδια κατηγορία και παραπάνω από 8 στους 10 δεν έχουν εμβολιαστεί. Πρόκειται, λοιπόν, για εκείνους που κινδυνεύουν περισσότερο.
Greece this month barred unvaccinated people from indoor spaces including restaurants, cinemas, museums, and gyms as daily COVID-19 cases hit record highs.
The country recorded 6,196 new COVID-19 cases and 75 deaths today.
The Hellenic Police’s Internal Affairs Division rounded up 34 police officers on Tuesday as part of a long investigation into an illegal citizenship racket, Ekathimerini reported.
Twenty people have been arrested, including nine active police officers, a Citizens’ Protection Ministry employee, a registry officer, a lawyer and eight civilians.
The racket had been active since at least April 26, 2013. It consisted mainly of ethnic Greeks from the former USSR, police and other civil servants.
The ongoing inquiry found the racket provided foreign nationals, most of whom had criminal records, with forged passports and IDs, with prices starting from 30,000 euros.
The European Union must consider mandatory vaccination in response to the spread of the “highly contagious” Omicron COVID variant across Europe, the European Commission president has said.
According to The Guardian, Ursula von der Leyen said vaccines would be crucial in the fight against Omicron and the EU’s 27 member states should rapidly deploy booster doses.
European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen.
“One-third of the European population is not vaccinated… not each and every one can be vaccinated – children, for example, or people with special medical conditions – but the vast majority could,” Von der Leyen, who practised as a doctor before her political career, said.
“How we can encourage and potentially think about mandatory vaccination within the European Union, this needs discussion. This needs a common approach, but it is a discussion that I think has to be met.”
About 1 billion doses have been delivered in the EU.
Over 360 million doses of mRNA vaccines will be delivered by the end of the first quarter 2022.
This is sufficient for all fully vaccinated Europeans to get a booster.
There is already growing momentum behind mandatory vaccination among the EU member states.
Austria has announced compulsory COVID-19 vaccinations from February next year, while Greece is fining all unvaccinated over-60s €100 (AU$159.07) a month.
So far, there have been a total of 59 identified cases in the EU of the Omicron variant, all of which have involved mild symptoms or been asymptomatic.
Ox King is a Sydney-based, Manchester-born artist who has painted over 5,000 murals across Sydney.
His latest is called ‘Hestia’ and was commissioned by the Inner West Council to honour Marrickville’s Greek history and community.
Ox King spoke exclusively with The Greek Herald about the mural.
Q. When did you move to Sydney? How did you get into street art?
“I was born in Manchester, and I immigrated here when I was about 11 (in 1997) and grew up here. I moved to Marrickville when I was around 20. In my mid-20’s I lived in Marrickville for about four years. I’m in Wolli Creek now.”
“I studied [at the Sydney College of Arts] straight out of high school. I ended up studying film and animation. I studied that for about four years and got a Bachelor with Honours in Film and Animation but then immediately abandoned that once I finished. I started picking up illustration and painting walls with friends and became self-taught over the last 10 years.”
“[Street art] is just so immediate.”
“I always wanted to present my work for everybody to enjoy.”
Q. ‘Hestia’ was commissioned by the Inner West Council. How did they reach out?
“I’ve worked with the Inner West Council for quite a long time now. Four or five years. I first worked with them when they commissioned the mural in the Newtown IGA carpark. [The council] runs a program called Perfect Match and people in the Inner West who have a wall, who have a property, who are interested in getting a mural submit, and then artists submit to paint murals, and then the Council funds everything and matches artists with locations that they think will work the best.”
“It’s a really great experience because they place creative freedom first and, as such, I don’t really work to a solid brief. That creates the best work.”
“For [‘Hestia’] specifically, it was a rough brief for doing something for the Greek community but beyond meeting with the people and talking with them, my interpretation of that story was fairly free, which I thought was really successful.”
Q. Where did you draw your inspiration for ‘Hestia’?
“I met with the council and the building owners … After that, I set up a meeting with representatives from the Greek community in the area. We all sat in a cafe near the mural and they all talked to me about stories, what Marrickville means to them, what it was like growing up, different icons, which I took notes on.
“I landed on a blend of art nouveau and Greek pottery. So, trying to blend the classic Greek pottery depictions with the green and gold colour scheme. Depicted all around, obviously the top ‘freedom or death’ it’s the 200 anniversary and that we’re celebrating this year of Greek independence.”
“Then to the top left is a depiction of Saint Nicholas, who is a patron saint and is the name of the church that the original immigrants built in the 1960s that is … on Illawarra Road.”
“Then to the top right is a depiction of a ship with the word Patris underneath… [which brought] a huge majority of the Australian Greek immigrant population, over about 50 years going from Athens to Melbourne back and forth, so there’s a lot of history and emotions behind that ship.”
“Below that, I’ve got the Australian gum leaves to represent the new land to represent this natural beauty and Marrickville as a new settling ground.”
“Over to the left, I’ve got depictions of a jar of oil, fish, and olive branch to represent Greek food. From what I’ve read and the stories that I’ve told, the real reason why Marrickville has become such a center is because of Greek delis and Greek food.”
“Under that is the word ‘Lamia’, which is the name of a deli that’s been on Marrickville road since the ‘60s.”
“Below that is the olive branch growing words into the soil to represent the next generation of Greek children that were born here in Marrickville that are growing their roots in the Australian soil.”
“Surrounding Hestia is the word ‘Filotimo’, which … [is] such a powerful, all-encompassing word that … represents family and honour and taking someone into your home and showing respect without asking for anything back, which I think is a really beautiful sentiment.”
(Images: Supplied)
Q. How long did it take to make ‘Hestia’?
“[‘Hestia’] took about three weeks. I’d prefer heat to rain; rain or wind is really terrible. … Overall, I’d say probably about two weeks, 10 days to paint the whole thing.”
Q. What has the response been from the community?
“It’s all been really overwhelmingly positive. I think because it is so closely tied to personal history, this is probably one of my most researched pieces ever. I’ve just been getting a lot of really positive feedback when I was painting it and then when I’ve been posting online.”
“I got some really beautiful comments. I got a comment from a lady that said her entire family came over on the Patris and she showed a picture of the mural to her mother, and it made her cry, which I thought was really touching.”
Q. What is the proudest moment of your career?
“[‘Hestia’] is definitely up there. Hestia is definitely one of my favourite pieces. The level of research and community involvement is really rewarding on this one. This is definitely one of my favourites.”
The NSW Teachers Federation (NSWTF) will strike for pay rises and more planning time next week despite an order from the Industrial Relations Commission for them to cancel the event.
“The teacher shortages are too large and their cause, uncompetitive salaries, and unmanageable workloads, too great for teachers and principals not to proceed with this action,” NSWTF President Angelo Gavrielatos said.
Negotiations over a new enterprise agreement are at a stalemate. The federation is calling for a pay rise of 5 percent a year with an extra 2.5 percent to recognise extra experience, as well as two more hours of planning time a week.
However, the Department of Education is curtailed by the government’s public sector wage cap, introduced amid strikes in 2011, which limits increases to 2.5 percent a year. The policy only allows the cap to be exceeded if productivity gains are negotiated.
Beginner teachers in NSW earn $72,263 a year compared with $75,471 for those in Queensland. Teachers in the highest paying bands will earn $107,779 in NSW compared with $108,000 to 110,000 in Queensland.
Year 12 Immanuel college School Captain, Georgia Kehagias was announced South Australia’s Student Citizen of the Year for 2021 and was presented with an award by the Governor of SA Frances Adamson in a ceremony held at the Government House on Monday 29 November.
“We are immensely proud of Georgia and grateful for her contribution to Immanuel College. We wish her the very best in the future as she begins her next exciting chapter,” reads a message posted on the school’s social media page.
The Student Citizenship Awards program is the flagship endeavour of the SA Branch of the Order of Australia Association and recognises young people who show leadership and contribute to their school and broader community and exemplify the Association’s objective, “to celebrate and promote outstanding Australian citizenship”.
According to the school Ms Kehagias has contributed her time and energy as School Captain to lead several initiatives such as the College’s buddy system to support international students through early COVID times and her work on Relay for Life and has a “passionate desire to help and support others.”
“Georgia is an exceptional role model who has had a positive and valued impact on her school and community,” reads the school’s post.
The Greek Orthodox Community of The Nativity of Christ in Port Adelaide have also congratulated Ms Kehagias for this achievement.
Rear (left to right): Jordan Zorzi and Jayden Gale (Rostrevor College), Mr Rod Bunten, Samuel Wabnitz and Jamieson Noutsatos (Temple Christian College), Riley Day (Australian Science & Mathematics School) and SA Branch Chair Mr Tony Metcalf OAM. Photo: The Order of Australia Association
“On behalf of the Community and Parish, we want to convey our heartfelt congratulations to our own, Georgia Kehagias, on receiving both the Order of Australia Citizenship award and the Student of The Year Award. Georgia and her beautiful family are pious members of our Parish,” reads the Community’s post.
“It is our prayer that our most loving and merciful God may grant her the strength, wisdom, perseverance and love to continue her beautiful and Christ-centred service to those around her.”
Among the ten students who were finalists for the Student Citizenship Awards was also Jamieson Noutsatos from Temple Christian College who received a ‘Highly Commended’ certificate signed by the Governor.
Greece’s Deputy Foreign Minister, Andreas Katsaniotis, has been awarded the Cross of St Andrew the First-Called by Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on Tuesday.
Mr Katsaniotis was in Istanbul to represent the Greek Government at the Thronal Feast of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in honour of its founder St Apostle Andrew the First-Called.
The Deputy Minister was also accompanied by the Secretary-General of Hellenes Abroad and Public Diplomacy, Ioannis Chrysoulakis.
After receiving the distinction, Mr Katsaniotis said it was “one of the most moving moments of my journey” and praised the Ecumenical Patriarch for his hard work.
Είναι ξεχωριστή τιμή για εμένα να εκπροσωπώ την Ελληνική Κυβέρνηση στη Θρονική Εορτή του Οικουμενικού Πατριαρχείου κατά την οποία τιμάται ο ιδρυτής της Εκκλησίας της Κωνσταντινουπόλεως, Απόστολος Ανδρέας. Χρόνια Πολλά σε όλες τις εορτάζουσες και τους εορτάζοντες! pic.twitter.com/0f19nG1YeP
“It is clear that the centuries-long course of the Ecumenical Patriarchate is inextricably linked to the historic land of Constantinople in which it continues, and will continue, its high ecumenical mission,” he said.
During the rest of his visit to Constantinople, Mr Katsaniotis also met with expatriates and educational institutions of the Greek minority, and inaugurated a Painting Exhibition at Sismanogleio Megaron.
Greek Alternative Foreign Affairs Minister Miltiadis Varvitsiotis met with Russia’s Transport Minister Vitaly Saveliev as part of a two-day visit to Moscow on Tuesday.
The pair signed a bilateral cooperation protocol agreement on tourism, energy, transport, science and technology, cultural matters, and interregional cooperation.
“The cooperation protocol is a successful agreement that paves the way for a new, deeper collaboration between Greece and Russia…” Varvitsiotis wrote on Twitter.
“We hope that thanks to the protocol on cooperation within the framework of the joint intergovernmental commission, which will be inked in Moscow, as well as the upcoming visit of the prime minister, a new charter will be opened in Greek-Russian relations,” the minister is quoted in Russia’s state-owned news agency Tass.
He met with business figures at the Greek embassy a day before.
Greece said on Tuesday it would make COVID-19 vaccinations mandatory for people aged 60.
Authorities said those who failed to comply from January 16 would face a recurring monthly fine of €100 (AU$159.07).
The announcement marks an EU-wide first in targeting a specific age group.
Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said he struggled with the decision but it was necessary to protect more than half a million elderly Greeks who had failed to get the jab.
“It’s the price to pay for health,” he said.
About 63% of Greece’s 11 million population is fully vaccinated.
While vaccine appointments have picked up in recent weeks, health ministry data shows there are 520,000 people over the age of 60 who have failed to get a jab.
“We are focusing our efforts on protection of our fellow citizens and for this reason, their vaccination will be mandatory from now on,” Mitsotakis told a cabinet meeting.
Syriza, Greece’s main opposition party, faulted the measures as being punitive and financially excessive.
“This hasn’t happened anywhere,” it said.
Mitsotakis did not say how authorities would enforce the rule.
A €100 fine is a hefty chunk of the average monthly 730 euro pension.
“(The decision) tortured me, but I feel a heavy responsibility in standing next to those most vulnerable, even if it might fleetingly displease them,” he said.
Greece this month barred unvaccinated people from indoor spaces including restaurants, cinemas, museums, and gyms as daily COVID-19 cases hit record highs.
It has recorded 931,183 infections and 18,067 deaths since the start of the pandemic last year.
Victoria’s Greek National Day Organising Committee has today announced that from December 12, 2021, the solo photo exhibition of Dimitra Hatziadam will be on display at function centre, The Coburg in Victoria.
The exhibition, titled “EVZONES/Guardians of the Unseen,” is under the auspices of the Greek President Katerina Sakellaropoulou and will be transferred for the first time from Greece to Australia with the support of the General Secretariat of Hellenes Abroad and Public Diplomacy.
Dimitra Hatziadam with the Evzones.
Attendees will be able to view the Evzones as never before, with a unique display of 11 banners, three meters high, depicting the traditional costumes and actions of the Presidential Guard.
The photo exhibition is part of the national program celebrating the 200th anniversary of the beginning of the Greek Revolution, “Greece 2021,” and the official program of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Australia.
For more information on the exhibition, please contact the Secretary of the Committee, Ms Natasha Spanou at greeknationalday@gmail.com.
