The Hellenic Initiative Australia has announced a $10,000 grant to be given to the Emfasis Foundation to support extra relief and safety measures being implemented to assist the homeless in Athens as a result of COVID-19.
The grant will allow the Emfasis Mobile Support Unit to continue to provide specific support to homeless and vulnerable communities, including access to safe accommodation and transport.
“Emfasis has been doing a remarkable job during this time, continuing to help people who don’t have the option of ‘staying home,’ including many elderly people and families,” says The Hellenic Initiative Australia President, Nicholas G Pappas AM.
“This has been a very challenging time for NGOs in Greece who are trying to keep their staff and volunteers
safe while continuing to provide vulnerable people with basic food and supplies and access to health care and
temporary accommodation,” he said.
The Emfasis Mobile Support Units are responsible for distributing relief packages, including packaged food, disinfectant, personal hygiene items, sleeping bags and clothing, in coordinated safe drop off points in key areas in Athens and Piraeus.
The foundation has also assisted people with relocation to temporary housing and provided support from psychologists and social workers through a 24/7 hotline.
The Hellenic Initiative Australia has supported the Emfasis Mobile Support Unit since 2018. The MSU has assisted more than 2000 people in Athens and Piraeus during the past 12 months.
Churches in Greece will finally reopen their doors after being shut for almost a month after a joint decision expected to be announced by the ministries of Health and Religion on Tuesday, the Athens-Macedonian News Agency reports.
According to the report, churches will reopen on May 17 and remain open until June 5, when it will be reviewed by the authorities. The decision applies to regular services but also to ceremonies such as baptisms and weddings.
The churches are to adhere to the strict health guidelines set in place by the Greek government. Only one person will be allowed inside churches per 10 square meters of surface area and a distance of 1.5 meters at least must be maintained at all times. A maximum of 50 people will be allowed in places of worship that have an area of more than 500 square meters.
Photo: Pappas Post
Social distancing must be maintained at all times between clerics and members of the congregation.
The decision also advises the use of masks but makes the use of antiseptic hand gels or wipes mandatory for everyone entering a church or other religious venue.
Greek Orthodox churches were placed in lockdown in the prior to Greek Orthodox Easter in mid-April to prevent the spread of the coronavirus.
Turkey on Tuesday accused Greece, Cyprus, Egypt, France and the United Arab Emirates of seeking to form an “alliance of evil” after these countries issued a joint declaration denouncing Ankara’s policies in the eastern Mediterranean and Libya.
In a strongly-worded statement, Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman Hami Aksoy said the five countries were pursuing “regional chaos and instability” in the eastern Mediterranean and sacrificing Libyans’ “hope for democracy for the reckless aggression of dictators.”
The foreign ministers of the five countries held a teleconference on Monday to discuss the situation in the eastern Mediterranean, where Turkey has been drilling for potential hydrocarbon deposits in an offshore area where Cyprus has exclusive economic rights, as well as the situation in Libya.
Egypt’s minster of Foreign Affairs Sameh Shoukry during a teleconference meeting with his Greek, Cypriot, French and Emirati counterparts, 11 May 2020 – Press photo
Last year, Turkey signed a contested maritime border delineation deal as well as a military cooperation agreement with the internationally-recognised government in Tripoli.
Turkey says the deal grants its economic rights to a large swath of the east Mediterranean Sea and prevents any energy-related projects from moving forward without Ankara’s consent. Greece and Cyprus have protested the deal, saying it contravenes international law and infringes on their own rights in the area.
The five nations denounced what they said was Turkey’s sixth attempt in less than a year to “illegally conduct drilling operations in Cyprus’ maritime zones.”
The five also protested the agreements signed with Libya’s U.N.-backed government as a violation of international law and the U.N. arms embargo in Libya.
”(The) Ministers strongly condemned Turkey’s military interference in Libya, and urged Turkey to fully respect the UN arms embargo, and to stop the influx of foreign fighters from Syria to Libya. These developments constitute a threat to the stability of Libya’s neighbors in Africa as well as in Europe,” the five nations declared.
In its response, the Turkish Foreign Ministry accused Greece and Cyprus of avoiding dialogue with Turkey and faulted Egypt for not protecting the rights and interests of its own people. It also charged the UAE of joining the others out of hostility against Turkey and blamed France for allegedly seeking to act as a “patron” to the alliance.
“We call on these countries to act in line with common sense, international laws and practices,” said Aksoy, the Turkish Foreign Ministry spokesman. “Peace and stability in the region can be established with sincere and genuine dialogue, not through alliances of evil.”
Mitch Georgiades thought Port Adelaide would be the last AFL club he would be drafted to and was blindsided when they read out his name on draft night.
“There was a Facetime meeting with one of Port’s wellbeing blokes and a very brief interview with them at the draft combine, but that was it,” Georgiades told The Advertiser.
“My manager (Tom Seccull) said it looked like Port wouldn’t be the place for me, although it was possible they were playing a game with me, so I went into draft night not really expecting to end up there.’’
Then – as he was waiting for the 18th selection to be called out by the Power on night one of the two-day draft – Georgiades’ phone rang.
Georgiades in action against Brisbane during the 2020 Marsh Community Series. Picture: Chris Hyde / AFL Photos / Getty Images.
“My phone started ringing and I thought I’d better answer it. It was (Port coach) Ken Hinkley on the other end of the line,’’ Georgiades recalled.
“He rang about a minute before the selection was announced and said, ‘we’ll be taking you if that’s all good, we’ve locked in your name.’ I was shocked but stoked, very excited. I didn’t think I’d be going to be Port, but it’s a very good place to be.’’
The Power had kept its interest in Georgiades, who missed the entire 2019 season after three surgeries on a badly calcified thigh, well hidden.
Georgiades said the other 17 AFL clubs had shown him more love, with Geelong his keenest suitor followed by GWS, Melbourne, Fremantle, West Coast and Hawthorn.
But Port had been tracking the athletic, high-leaping forward closely.
“We did keep him pretty quiet but we tracked him in 2018 and thought he’d be a pretty good player and rocket up the boards in 2019, but he didn’t get to play,’’ national recruiting manager Geoff Parker said.
“We did a lot of background checking. Power assistant, Jarrad Schofield, has that Subiaco connection (as a past coach there) and Taj, Jarrad’s son, played with him. So we had a lot of intel on him and we’re excited he got to where he got to.
“We’re very, very comfortable with our decision to pick him.’’
Georgiades (right) celebrates kicking his first AFL goal against Gold Coast in round one with Port Adelaide teammates Karl Amon (No. 15) and Sam Powell-Pepper. Picture: Darren England / AAP.
The draft bolter has stacked on 5kg of muscle since arriving at Alberton to now tip the scales at 89kg and the early signs are that he is everything Port could have hoped for and more.
Georgiades described missing a season of football in his draft year in 2019 as “the toughest year of my life.”
Now, finally fit and firing, in the AFL system and with a game already under his belt, he is loving life.
The coronavirus pandemic has triggered a global race to develop a vaccine. One prominent Greek Australian who has joined this race is Dr Vasso Apostolopoulos, who is a Professor of Immunology and Vice President of the Research Department at Victoria University.
Dr Apostolopoulos was the first researcher in the world to develop the theory of immunotherapy for breast cancer in the early 1990s, and she will now commence animals trials using a potential coronavirus vaccine in a lab at Victoria University.
She spoke exclusively to The Greek Herald.
1. Firstly, I would like to have a general comment on the way that the Australian Government have dealt with the pandemic? And do you think that the curve has been flattened?
The government has done a great job in introducing measures to deal with the pandemic. However, I find that the people are not listening. This weekend for example, the shopping centres are full of people and no-one is adhering to social distancing. The local shopping centre pre-COVID-19 at the best of times was only half full. During COVID-19 and stage 3 shutdown, the local shopping centre has a full carpark and you need to wait for a spot to become empty. I can’t understand where they all go, half the shops are closed anyway. Despite this, the number of cases have not sky rocketed, and have been well under control. Has the curve flattened? It appears to have flattened, however, how accurate is this? There are many infected people out in the community, with minor symptoms who have not been tested. It appears that only those with severe symptoms are being tested; those who tick some of the ‘common symptoms’ are told to self-isolate without being tested. Thus, even though the curve might not be very accurate, overall, Australia is doing quite well when we compare against the US, Spain, Italy, UK and other countries.
2. As a distinguished member of the Greek Australian community, I don’t know if you had the time to watch the news on the pandemic in Greece as well. Greece has gained positive publicity worldwide for the effective way they handled the crisis. Actually an immunologist who has born in Sydney, Sotiris Tsiodras, is the coordinator of the collective effort of the government. Do you have any comments to share with our readers about Greece?
I salute Greece for their outstanding effort in going into strict shutdown very early on. They are a great example worldwide of how they’ve managed the pandemic. The registration of when the people go out is a great idea, the fines to people who are not adhering to the rules, the requirement of masks when outdoors, and shutting down of schools, universities, cafes, restaurants, shops early on, all helped the number of cases to be well below most other European Countries. With a manageable 2,620 total cases in the last 3 months, Greece has done amazing. In addition, the great daily advice that Professor Sotirios Tsiordas has been giving to the community and bringing updates and awareness of the situation and the excellent advise for strict shutdown measures have also contributed to what has ‘saved’ Greece during this pandemic.
Dr Vasso Apostolopoulos is working on the first animal trial of a potential coronavirus vaccine in Australia.
3. Researchers across the globe are racing to develop a vaccine for COVID-19. In your lab at Victoria University you are working on vaccines. Are you a step closer to human clinical test? And do you believe a vaccine will be found and if so, how quickly?
There are many labs around the world who are working on developing a vaccine against COVID-19. Each lab uses a different method of (i) isolated a region of the virus, whether it is a small peptide, a larger protein, the DNA or RNA of the virus and (ii) of delivering the vaccine in an appropriate manner to stimulate the correct immune response. There is a lot of talent, there is a lot of knowledge and a lot of expertise out there worldwide to develop vaccines. We at Victoria University are also developing a vaccine against COVID-19. We are using a platform technology with some modifications to develop a vaccine. We are undertaking all pre-clinical testing and if it all goes well, we will be ready to test it in humans. Usually, vaccines take about 10-15 years to make, however, with my 25 years experience in developing vaccines for other disorders this can be sped up to 12-18 months.
4 A lot of countries, among them Greece, are gradually easing the lockdown measures. Australia is doing something similar with schools in NSW. What needs to be done to reduce the transmission of COVID-19 in these new circumstances?
It is important not to rush this. Extreme precaution needs to be undertaken with small steps at a time. Schools should not re-open too quickly. In the 1918 pandemic of the Spanish flu, 2 million people died and once the infections/spread slowed down, they went back to normality which then, a second wave hit and killed 50 million people. We do not want to repeat history and we do not want to get a second more deadlier wave hit us now. It is therefore, crucial that people still adhere to social distancing, washing of hands, and even wearing of masks. In some countries, masks are compulsory. In Australia they are not, however they should be made compulsory, for everyone to have some sort of protection and prevent a second wave hitting us.
5. You have seen pandemics or epidemics and you know better from us the consequences. What does a return to normality look like after all this chaos? Will life after COVID-19 be completely different?
It will take a long time to return back to normality as we knew it before COVID-19. This could take 2-3 years at least. In the meantime, life in the next 1-2 years will still include social distancing to some degree, shaking hands and hugging when greeting will be minimal, and tables will be more spread out at cafes. Eventually we will get back to normality, we did after the 1918-1920 Spanish Flu. More, recently and to put it into perspective, the 2009 Swine flu infected 1.6 million people causing 500,000 deaths and, we did have a vaccine and drug available to control it. The Swine flu took 20 months to control. And we did go back to normality fairly quickly. COVID-19 however, is more infectious, symptoms are more severe, it is harder to control, and there are no vaccines or drugs to control it. Hence, my 2-3 years estimate to get back to normality.
6. Greece is heading to the summer season. Is there evidence that the hot, humid weather in the summer will suppress the COVID-19 like it does other coronaviruses?
There is some evidence to suggest that the hot humid weather in the summer will suppress COVID-19, however, this does not mean that everyone in Greece should go out and get back to normality immediately. If we think about it, in Australia we just went through summer and that did not stop cases, UAE has currently 35-40C and they have 13,600 cases, Singapore’s temperature is 30-35C and they have 17,550 cases, India has temperatures in 35-40C and they have almost 40,000 cases and Peru and Brazil who just had their summer season all have high cases, of 42,534 and 97,100 respectively. Hence, does the hot summer weather prevent COVID-19 spread? It does not seem like it. The spread is by cough droplets, and if there is an infected person, the heat won’t stop it from spreading. COVID-19 is highly infectious, precautions must be taken even if Greece is entering the summer season.
7. A lot of news seems contradictory regarding if someone who has been infected will be immune after his recovery. Any concrete data on this and are you afraid of a second wave?
If someone has been infected and has recovered, they should theoretically be immune from re-infection. However, there are some cases where some people who were infected are seen to be positive again weeks later. This could be that they had not completely recovered, despite being tested negative. In some cases the viral load is so low that the result comes back as negative, hence thinking that the person has recovered, but weeks later the viral load increases to detectable levels. It is also believed, in some people, reinfection could be from a mutated version of coronavirus and people show minor symptoms. We are still learning about this virus and there are still many unknowns. A second wave is most likely to occur if we rush to get back to normality, and new non-previously infected people would be infected.
Dr Vasso Apostolopoulos in her lab at Victoria University.
8. We’ve heard epidemiologists in the past talk about the danger of a big pandemic. In your view, is this the Big One, and how does it compare with past pandemics?
Hippocrates, first noticed influenza in 412 BC and since the large pandemic in 1580 there have been influenza pandemics every 10-30 years. In the last 100 years alone we have had 4 Influenza pandemics, (i) 1918-1920 H1N1 Spanish flu pandemic infected 500 million people (1/3 of the world’s population at the time) and killed 50 million people; (ii) 1957-1958 H2N2 Asian flu pandemic with over 2 million deaths; (iii) 1968-1972 H3N2 Hong Kong Flu pandemic with over 1 million deaths; (iv) 2009-2010 H1N1 Swine flu which led to approximately 500,000 deaths. COVID-19 is the 3rd coronavirus pandemic, we had SARS in 2002-2004, MERS in 2012 and now COVID-19 in 2019. Throughout history we have had numerous other bacterial and viral pandemics, including, HIV/AIDS, Typhoid fever plague of Athens (420-426BC), Antonine Plague (165-180 AD) measles/smallpox with over 5 million deaths, Plague of Justinian (541-750 AD) which killed ¼-½ of the world’s population at the time, the black death (1331-1353) with estimated deaths of 75-200 million. Other pandemics/epidemics/world health emergencies, have included smallpox, measles, whooping cough, cholera, typhoid, tuberculosis, leprosy, malaria, yellow fever, zika virus.
As you can see, pandemics are
not new, throughout history we have had many pandemics. COVID-19 is not the Big
One, globally we have managed COVID-19 relatively well compared to other
pandemics.
9. Would you like to send a message to our readers and the Greek Australian community, who are staying home and trying to cope in these extreme circumstances?
I urge the Greek Australian community not to rush to go out, even if the quarantine measures are reduced. We need to be careful, as we do not want a second wave coming through. Remember, the COVID-19 pandemic started with one infected person in China and look what’s happened worldwide. If one person is out there positive and we reduce quarantine measures, it may start all over again. Keep your social distancing, wash hands regularly and limit being in crowded places.
Former CEO of Dow Chemical, Andrew Liveris, is looking at ways to boost Australia’s local manufacturing capabilities in his role as Special Advisor to the National COVID-19 Coordination Commission set up by Prime Minister Scott Morrison.
The eight-member commission, headed by former Fortescue Metals CEO Neville Power, is advising the Prime Minister on all non-health aspects of the COVID-19 pandemic response, including resolving supply shortages and manufacturing essential products.
Speaking at a video conference today hosted by the Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Mr Liveris said while Australia does have some manufacturing capabilities in sectors such as biomedicine, there is still room for improvement.
“The COVID-19 crisis should be a wake-up call about the dangers of Australia putting all its eggs in one basket,” Mr Liveris explained.
Andrew Liveris is playing an important role in ensuring Australia’s local manufacturing capabilities are enhanced after the COVID-19 pandemic. Source: World Economic Forum.
“It’s not that we don’t have manufacturing capabilities. We do. But at best, most of our capabilities are built in our labs and then companies go and scale their ideas elsewhere.
“We need to develop more local manufacturing, particularly in some key strategic areas, for security reasons.”
Mr Liveris said his role in the Commission was to consider ways to add value to Australian-produced commodities, food, defence materials and the energy and natural gas sector.
“Petrochemicals should be a no-brainer for this country. We have all the raw materials for it. And it is a job multiplier. For every one job in terms of energy input, you can get an output of eight jobs in the industry,” he said.
“In fact, Australia should also become the top packaged food exporter in the world. Of course we should be exporting fresh food, but we have expertise with paper and plastic packaging and we have plenty of food. Why don’t we marry those two sets of expertise?”
But some people fear more local manufacturing and ideas of ‘fair trade’ over ‘free trade’ could see the Commission implement protectionist measures in Australia.
Mr Liveris responded to this fear with a resounding: ‘that’s not true.’
“The Commission is not about putting subsidies and tariffs in place. It’s about creating a policy framework to double down and create local capabilities in Australia,” he stressed.
Nurses across Australia put their lives at risk every day to offer exceptional health care to those of us feeling at our lowest. Today is International Nurses Day and The Greek Herald wants to celebrate the nurses who play a vital role in our society, particularly over the last six months as Australia responded to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In 2020, the work of nurses has been unexpectedly thrust into the spotlight. The World Health Organisation declared this year the International Year of the Nurse and Midwife. Nightly applause has resounded across many countries in tribute to their toil during the pandemic. One artist, known as the elusive ‘Banksy,’ even created an artwork depicting a child playing with a nurse toy as a sign of respect to our ‘heroes.’
Nurses are finally getting the recognition they deserve. Their often hidden work has finally been brought to light and they should be immensely proud of their collective hard work, compassion and resilience in the most difficult of circumstances.
The Greek Herald itself heralded one Greek-Australian nurse, Helen Zahos, just last month for her work on the frontline of the coronavirus pandemic.
The Banksy artwork is on display at Southampton general hospital. Photograph: @banksy/Instagram/PA.
The Greek Herald recognised Greek-Australian nurse, Helen Zahos, for her work just last month.
At the time, Helen said while nurses felt an ‘underlying pressure’ to perform as soon as they turned up to hospital, the public’s support helped them through a difficult time.
“We watch what is happening overseas and that medical staff are susceptible to contracting COVID-19 and it is something we are aware of. But the mood in the unit is good. We are prepared and we are sticking together as a team to get through this time,” Helen said.
“The majority of the public have been amazing as well. We have received all kinds of support including messages from children and cafes that have brought us coffee, chocolates and flowers. It has boosted us during a tough time.”
And while nurses have learnt not to expect accolades for their work, it is this newfound community support and recognition which they hope continues long after the coronavirus pandemic eases.
The historic Battle of Valtetsi was fought on May 12, 1821 and became one of the most decisive fights in the Greek Revolution. Taking place around the mountainous village of Valtetsi in Mantineia (12 km west of Tripoli), the battle essentially paved the way for the fall of Tripoli on September 23, 1821.
Greek camps were set up in Valtetsi, at the initiative of Theodoros Kolokotronis, to coordinate the military operations aimed at the important conquest of Tripoli. Bastions were built on the hills around the village and the houses were fortified to shield the rebels from an attack.
On May 6, 1821, a Turkish General named Rubi bey, learned of the reconstruction of the Greek camp in Valtetsi and decided to take action. Forming a well-equipped military corps of 12,000 men, he ordered an attack on the village.
The Battle of Valtetsi. Source: Unknown artist.
The Turkish army’s arrival in Valtetsi shortly before dawn on May 12, marked the beginning of a battle with Greek forces lasting 24 hours.
Valtetsi was defended valiantly by 2,300 Greek revolutionaries. The defensive strategy was to fortify 4 tower houses in the area following the pyrgospitia Maniot pattern: Kyriakoulis Mavromichalis, as field-commander, defended the first tower with 120 men. Ilias Mavromichalis was in charge of the second one with 250 men. Ioannis Mavromichalis with 350 men commanded the third tower. Mitropetrovas with 80 men stayed in the last one.
Rubi bey ordered his army to storm the towers, while a small force was to move behind the village itself to cut off the Greeks’ expected retreat to the mountain paths. He demanded the Greek rebels surrender their weapons but, when refused, began his full assault. The Turkish and Albanian forces managed to capture some positions, including the water supply, but a fierce resistance obliged them to demand for reinforcements.
In the meantime, more Greeks, numbering 700 men, under Theodoros Kolokotronis, arrived and attacked the Ottomans on their flanks weakening their operational power. Another contingent under Dimitrios Plapoutas, also made a significant entrance into the battle to give vital support to the exhausted rebels, balancing the actions.
Theodoros Kolokotronis leading his army to Valtetsi. Source: Unknown artist.
Against Ottoman expectations, Greeks maintained their positions as the Ottoman cavalry became useless when trying to attack on rocky slopes. All Turkish and Albanian attacks were repelled and finally Rubi bey ordered the retreat of his army. At this point, the Greeks abandoned their defensive attitude under the fortified positions and violently counterattacked, completely breaking the enemy lines.
Hence, the Greek victory was decided and the rebels captured two cannons and ammunition. Something which would prepare them for the many battles ahead.
Casualties from the battle were still high with 514 dead and 635 injured. The losses of the Greeks amounted to only 4 dead and 17 wounded.
Kolokotronis, according to his memoirs, said to his compatriots: We must render up thanksgivings for this day, which should be kept holy for ever, as the day upon which our Motherland achieved her freedom.
Aftermath:
The Battle of Valtetsi was the first decisive Greek victory in their struggle for freedom. Its effects were as follows:
It proved that an organised rebel force could face and defeat the Ottoman military machine.
It strengthened the morale and self-confidence of the Greeks, which encouraged them to continue their task to free their homeland.
It proved that real Ottoman control in central Peloponnese remained within Tripolis’ walls.
Greece’s Tourism Ministry has prepared a 16-page “safety and hygiene protocol” for hotels to ensure tourists arriving in Greece this summer stay safe and hygienic amid the coronavirus pandemic.
The protocol, which has been based on recommendations from the Greek National Health Organisation, covers all services provided by hotels including the reception area and check-in, restaurants, bars and even swimming pools.
The strict measures have to be implemented at each hotel in Greece, regardless of size and specifications.
Among other things, the protocols focus on:
Reception and check-in:
Plexiglass should be used in the reception area of a hotel which has the capacity of 60 beds.
Floor markings at a distance of two metres should also be organised.
For check-in, portable devices should be used as they can be more easily disinfected after each use.
People who do not live in the hotel will be barred from entering.
Social distancing measures will apply to swimming pools in Greek hotels. Source: Qantas.
Swimming pools:
Layout of seats such as sunbeds, chairs, etc. should be at a distance of 2 meters.
Sunbeds should be disinfected after each use. They should be covered with a special disposable cloth before placing the towel on top.
The number of swimmers in outdoor pools will be restricted to one swimmer per 2.5 cubic meters. In indoor pools, the proportion is 2 swimmers per 20 square meters.
Restaurants:
For the operation of restaurants, the intensive washing of hand towels, tablecloths and all cutlery is proposed. Alternatively, packed cutlery and single-use tablecloths can be used where possible.
Tables and chairs should be arranged at a distance bigger than 1.5 metres.
To avoid crowding, the operation hours of restaurants should be extended and customer attendance should be rotated.
Room service should be encouraged at no extra charge.
No buffets.
Cleaning Service:
No frequent cleaning of the room to avoid contact of the cleaning personnel with people potentially infected with COVID-19.
Abolition of daily change of bed sheets and towels.
A single-use cover should be installed on remote controls for the TV and air conditioner.
The management of the hotel must use a sign indicating when and how each room was cleaned.
Antiseptic should also be placed in each room.
These measures are expected to be put in place before all-year hotels open on June 1.
Greece’s health authorities announced on Monday that there were only ten new coronavirus cases and no deaths. This is the second consecutive day that no new fatalities have been recorded in the country.
Total infections in the country are now 2,736, with the death toll remaining at 151.
Of these infections, 607 (22.3 percent) can be traced to travelling abroad and 1,374 (50.4 percent) to known cases exclusively within Greece.
There are 32 patients incubated in hospital intensive care units, 12 of them are women. The average age of these patients is 67 years old and nearly all have an underlying illness.
Among the 151 dead, 93.4 percent had some underlying illness and were 70 years of age or more.
A total of 99,363 COVID-19 tests have been conducted in Greece since the beginning of the coronavirus outbreak in late February.
