Sotiris Tsiodras, who is in charge of Greece’s management of the coronavirus, has stressed the importance of citizens wearing masks in public while alleging it has recently become a “double-edged sword”.
Infectious disease specialist Sotiris Tsiodras gave the latest statistics from the pandemic in a press conference last night, with Greece recording 206 new COVID-19 cases.
As part of the press conference, Tsiodras raised concerns over hesitation by the public to wear masks. The infectious disease specialist says that while it has enabled the public to engage in social activities, it has also meant people have become less cautious.
“I consider the mask a double-edged sword,” Tsiodras said on Tuesday.
Photo: Protothema.gr
“On one hand it is used for a good purpose, by doctors, young children and now for a while in our social activities […], on the other hand it is a necessary evil, to use it as our own personal prohibition, as our own personal lockdown.”
Tsiodras notes that in April, the committee was not in favour of the general use of masks, however stressed that instructions and priorities have changed in that time.
“Based on the latest scientific data, our committee also adopted the new practices,” he said.
“I hope quickly and with a well-tested, safe and effective vaccine, to end these restrictions, to breathe at all levels and to see each other in the face with a clear eye”, also noted Sotiris Tsiodras.
Stay-at-home meausres for managing the coronavirus outbreak has forced Greek consumers to stay home, which in turn is motivating businesses and the government to make a long-talked about digital revolution happen virtually overnight [File: Alkis Konstantinidis/Reuters]
“I think that we must humbly continue to learn, to take the responsibility that belongs to us. To seek solutions with the help of experts and not pseudo-scientists.”
The infectious disease specialist also revealed details about the upcoming COVID-19 vaccine, with Tsiodras appearing highly optimistic.
“I am optimistic that we will have results in October. I would not like to see the vaccine as a means of political confrontation or an opportunity to spread false news,” Tsiodras said.
Peter Arvanitis has resigned as Heritage Care director due to an increasing focus on he and his wife Areti’s wealth while the aged care industry claimed it was going bankrupt, The Daily Telegraph reports.
Speaking to News Corp Australia, Heritage Care CEO Greg Reeve said Arvanitis decided to resign last week as a Director of Heritage Care, not wanting to “be a distraction to the good work of staff”.
“Some have been critical of Peter’s private wealth which was acquired before his time at Heritage Care, including the public offering of Estia Health which generated over $1 billion in 2014,” Reeve said.
At least 40 Victorian aged care facilities, mainly in Melbourne, have recorded at least one case of COVID-19.(ABC News: Nic MacBean)
“It’s not possible for any aged care operator to generate that degree of wealth from resident fees, and it’s inaccurate to imply otherwise.
“These past business achievements have nothing to do with Heritage Care, although we have benefited from Peter’s partial ownership since late 2018.”
According to the Heritage Care CEO, Arvanitis will maintain his partial ownership in the business.
Heritage Care operates 10 homes in NSW and Victoria, including the Epping Gardens aged-care facility which became subject to investigation after being the source of over 300 infections and multiple deaths
Areti Arvanitis with her Maserati. Picture: Chris Hopkins/Headpress
A man who lost his 92-year-old at Epping Gardens will be the lead plaintiff in a class action being brought by Carbone Lawyers, which is representing about 30 families with relatives who have either died at the home or who were living there until recently.
Greek Heritage Care owners Tony Antonopoulos and Peter Arvanitis are facing massive backlash due to their failure to handle the incident.
A German newspaper has claimed that Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan ordered his generals to fire upon and destroy Greek ships and fighters in a bid to provoke their Mediterranean neighbours.
The German newspaper Die Welt claimed in a report on Tuesday, entitled “Erdogan’s calculated war,” the Erdogan had asked his Turkish generals to ink a Greek ship and that they should do so securing that no one is killed in the process.
When the generals refused, another Turkish official suggested shooting down a Greek fighter, and the pilot could use the launch pad to save himself. But Turkish generals again refused.
A Greek F-16 fighter jet taking part in military exercises in the eastern Mediterranean on Monday. Photo: Getty Images
The report also said that “if it depended on the Turkish President, his navy would have sunk a Greek ship in the Mediterranean a long time ago.”
Speaking at a news conference on Tuesday, Turkish foreign minister Mevlut Cavusoglu accused Greece of engaging in “provocative acts” in the region with the backing of the European Union.
“We favor a joint solution that involves sitting around the table to negotiate with all sides in the eastern Mediterranean, for everyone to benefit from the eastern Mediterranean resources in a just manner or for the sharing (of resources) fairly,” Cavusoglu said.
Turkey’s foreign minister said Tuesday his country favours a dialogue with rival Greece that would lead to the fair sharing of resources in the eastern Mediterranean, where the two countries are locked in a tense standoff that threatens to spill into a conflict.
Speaking at a news conference with his Algerian counterpart, Mevlut Cavusoglu also accused Greece of engaging in “provocative acts” in the region with the backing of the European Union, which has threatened sanctions against Ankara.
“We favor a joint solution that involves sitting around the table to negotiate with all sides in the eastern Mediterranean, for everyone to benefit from the eastern Mediterranean resources in a just manner or for the sharing (of resources) fairly,” Cavusoglu said.
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, right, and Algeria’s Foreign Minister Sabri Boukadoum pose for photos before their talks, in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020. (Fatih Aktas/Turkish Foreign Ministry via AP, Pool)
In recent weeks, Turkish and Greek leaders have been engaged in tense rhetoric while their warships have been shadowing each other in the eastern Mediterranean. Both countries’ forces have been conducting a series of military exercises in the seas between Cyprus and the Greek island of Crete. The standoff was sparked when Turkey sent its research vessel, Oruc Reis, accompanied by warships to search for gas and oil reserves.
On Monday, Turkey announced that it was extending Oruc Reis’ mission by another 10 days, until Sept. 12.
Meanwhile, Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, who has threatened Greece with military action, described Turkey’s activities in the eastern Mediterranean as the “pursuit of (its) rights and justice” and denounced what he said were Greek efforts to “imprison” Turkey to a small region surrounding its coast.
“Efforts to descend on the riches of the Mediterranean, which are the rights of every country around it, is an example of modern-day colonialism,” Erdogan said.
Turkey’s Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu, right, and Algeria’s Foreign Minister Sabri Boukadoum pose for photos before their talks, in Ankara, Turkey, Tuesday, Sept. 1, 2020. (Cem Ozdel/Turkish Foreign Ministry via AP, Pool)
He also accused some nations he did not name of pushing Greece into a confrontation with Turkey.
“It is comical how (nations) are trying to throw a state that cannot even help itself as bait in front of a regional and global power like Turkey,” he said.
Greece voiced hope Monday that the threat of sanctions from its European Union partners would persuade Turkey to stop its offshore energy prospecting.
Greek government spokesman Stelios Petsas said the threat of sanctions gave Turkey an “exit strategy” from the evolving crisis.
“It is in Turkey’s interest above all, with its economy shaken and so many open fronts, to realize that right now Europe is offering it a way out … (allowing) the peaceful settling of our differences to define maritime zones between the two countries,” Petsas said.
Federal parliament has agreed to extend the $100 billion JobKeeper program with changes, meaning people will receive a lower amount from the end of the month.
From September 28, the $1500 fortnightly payment will fall to $1200, followed by another drop in January to $1000 if you were working at least 20 hours per week before JobKeeper was introduced.
For part-time workers, payments will fall to $750 a week this month, then $650 next year.
The extension will expire on March 28.
The Commonwealth estimates that from October, more people will be on JobKeeper in Victoria than in the rest of Australia combined.
Prime Minister Scott Morrison described the scheme as the most significant economic intervention in Australian history.
“We are now extending and transitioning,” Mr Morrison said on Tuesday.
“Transitioning and looking to a day when Australian communities don’t need JobKeeper and when Australians can then run their businesses and hold their jobs sustained by a vibrant and growing economy.”
People receiving JobSeeker payments will also get a decrease on their payments.
In NSW alone, there are around 100,000 young carers under the age of 25. Responsible for the well-being of their ill or disabled parents or siblings, many of them don’t have toys to play with at home or are able to enjoy their childhoods.
Margaret Skagias, founder and director of ‘CaringKids’, was motivated four years ago to make sure that these children are able to enjoy their youth while taking care of their family members from home.
“We’ve recycled half a tonne of toys over the last three years and our toy boxes have travelled over 50,000 km around Australia,” Margaret Skagias said to The Greek Herald.
“It’s that one moment where you can make that difference”
Coming from a background of social work, Margaret says that prior to starting CaringKids, she used to take young carers of special needs siblings on camps.
Deloitee volunteers impact day 2018. Photo: Supplied
“I used to take around 60 kids from all over NSW and 20 volunteers and we used to take them away for around 5 days,” Margaret said.
“We let them be children and do fun things like archery and swimming and sport and just let them have a break from home.”
According to the 2016 census, approximately 9% or 4,900 young carers in NSW identify as primary carers, meaning that there are at least 4,900 children who don’t get to play sport or do a physical activity. Instead, Margaret says, the children are responsible for cooking, cleaning, housework, or taking care of their siblings.
“When their parents pass on and there’s someone in the family with a disability, or if it’s their brother and sister, many of these kids end up taking the responsibility for the rest of their lives,” Margaret points out.
“I just felt like nobody was really noticing them enough, so six years ago I decided to start CaringKids.”
Photo: Supplied
CaringKids is a registered charity and toy recycling social enterprise dedicated to providing bespoke Toy Boxes for children who care for disabled or chronically ill family members. All the Toy Boxes are specially hand-picked and packed by the CaringKids staff and volunteers to match the unique interests of every child they support.
“The kids love to get them…. When they get home from school or look at their doorstep and on the doorstep is a big box, like a big lucky dip, of all these things and has something special just for them.”
With every toy sent out, Margaret feels another step has been made in raising awareness and providing aid to young carers. However, the CaringKids founder says there’s still a long way to go in making sure these children are properly taken care of.
“I find that the more toy boxes I send out, the more people start thinking about these children,” Margaret says.
“So there’s the bit about giving them the toy box, which they enjoy and love, but it’s also about getting people to remember that these kids are really young and providing support to someone in the family with a disability.
“A lot of people show concern, of course, for the person who’s sick, but then the person who is caring for them goes through a lot as well.
“There’s a lot of implications for these kids and I’m hoping by us making the toy boxes and spreading awareness, it gets people thinking on how they can help.”
CaringKids is also responsible for toy recycling, which involves transforming toys, which would have otherwise been thrown in the trash, into products that the children can enjoy.
“We save lots of toys from going into the bin by recycling them and giving them new life,” Margaret adds.
Due to her incredible work, Margaret and her charity have been nominated for the Westfield ‘Local Heroes’ initiative, allowing the public to vote on who should receive a $10,000 grant for their affiliated organisation.
“If we’re successful, the grant will help us send out almost 200 toy boxes to children across Australia,” Margaret says.
“It would also mean we would recycle about 8000 pre-loved toys and save them from land fill.”
With her toy boxes reaching all corners of Australia, her charity caters for young carers across the country. Margaret’s incredible charity has been supported by the entire Australian community, with volunteers and workers allowing it to grow and prosper.
“It’s just that one moment where you can make that difference, and I do that with all the volunteers that help me, or the mums and dads that give toys, or the community behind me, so obviously I don’t do it all alone and I have a lot of people that care.”
“There’s still a long way to go but I’m happy that we’ve been able to do something like this for them because they’re worth it.”
Pastitio, moussaka, souvlakia and grilled fish were all on the menu for Greek sailors onboard the Hellenic Navy frigate “Limnos” on Monday.
Greek fishermen from the town of Myrtos, near Ierapetra, Crete, loaded their fishing boats with fresh homemade food, vegetables and other supplies, and set sail for the frigate to show their gratitude to those defending Greek waters.
The touching move was spontaneously organised by the local authority as news emerged that the frigate, which recently collided with a Turkish warship but emerged unscathed, was sailing off the eastern edge of Crete.
Within a few hours locals gathered all they could, with some local shops even offering bottles of fresh water and soft drinks.
“Offering a dish of freshly cooked food is just a token gesture,” Alexandros Pantelakis, the Mayor of Myrtos, said.
“We just want to make them feel they are not alone. To make them feel that we are standing by them.”
Warships from Greece, Italy, Cyprus and France, participate in a joint military exercise which was held from 26-28 of August, south of Turkey in eastern Mediterranean sea. Photo: Greek Defense Ministry via AP.
It followed a statement by Greek government spokesman, Stelios Petsas, who said the recent threat of EU sanctions gave Turkey an “exit strategy” from the evolving crisis in the east Med.
“It is in Turkey’s interest above all, with its economy shaken and so many open fronts, to realise that right now Europe is offering it a way out … (allowing) the peaceful settling of our differences to define maritime zones between the two countries,” Petsas told state ERT TV.
I follow with concern the tensions in the Eastern Mediterranean area and I appeal for constructive dialogue and respect for international law to resolve the conflicts that threaten the peace of the peoples of that region.
Late Monday night, Pope Francis also expressed his concerns over the tension in the east Med on Twitter.
“I appeal for constructive dialogue and respect for international law to resolve the conflicts that threaten the peace of the peoples of that region,” he wrote, without naming the countries involved.
The Greek Orthodox Community of Melbourne and Victoria, the Greek Orthodox Community of NSW and the Greek Orthodox Community of South Australia have collectively sent a letter to the Greek Minister of Foreign Affairs, Nikos Dendias.
The letter was issued after the public was invited to participate in the consultation of the draft law “Organisation and Operation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs” and specifically, the intention of the Greek government to merge the General Secretariat for Greeks Abroad (GGAE) with the General Secretariat of Public Diplomacy, Consuls and Consulates.
Here is the full letter in English:
Honourable Minister,
On the occasion of the invitation to participate in the public consultation for the draft law “Organisation and Operation of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs” and specifically, the intention of the Greek government to merge the General Secretariat for Greeks Abroad (GGAE) with the General Secretariat for Public Diplomacy, Consular Affairs and Religious Affairs (CHAPTER E), we wish to express to you the collective position of the three largest Greek communities in Australia.
The autonomous General Secretariat for Greeks Abroad, through its important work in every corner of the world where the Greek diaspora live, has been the most recognisable service of the Greek state among the Greek diaspora since its foundation in 1983. Tens of thousands of Greek children from the diaspora, elementary and high school students, but also students of tertiary and higher education institutions abroad, among them countless Greek children of Australia, met Greece for the first time and forged life relationships with her but also with each other, through the educational programs offered by GGAE.
Countless schools, universities and expatriate organisations around the world, including of the Greek diaspora in Australia, were supported financially, in terms of communication, and culturally from the GGAE, or had its assistance, as a mediator and coordinator of the Greek state, in their effort to resolve various issues that concerned the responsibilities of other ministries and other services of Greece. The relationship of the GGAE and its executive potential with its Greek expatriates around the world, through the autonomy of the Secretariat so far, is unmediated, substantial, productive, efficient and has offered multiple national benefits for both Greece as well as the Greeks of the Diaspora. For these reasons, we call on you to ensure the autonomy of GGAE within the framework of the new organisation and operation of the Greek Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
We also consider that the dialogue with expatriate organisations, asking for their own views, would be extremely helpful on any issues that concern them directly, including of course this issue. Through a collective consultation, we can explore ways to upgrade the GGAE, with the possibility of staffing it with new employees who could come from the bowels of Hellenism abroad.
From the contacts we have so far with other expatriate organisations in Australia, but also other countries of universal Hellenism, we are convinced that our appeal, as we justify it, expresses the vast majority of the Greek Diaspora.
As the deadline for submitting proposals for the proposed legislative reforms expires on 31 August 2020 we express our desire to extend the deadline, specifically for the provisions of the plan, Chapter E, concerning Hellenes Abroad, the GGAE, the composition and role of the SAE, including Article 253, which refers to the composition of the SA, in order to give the opportunity and the required time for substantial and timely consultation with the participation of all expatriate organisations around the world. We also request a personal meeting with the Secretary of GGAE to discuss our proposals and exchange views.
Thank you in advance and we hope you will heed our call.
Dezi and Penny from Team Greece crushed Team France’s Austine and Leo in last night’s thrilling episode of Plate of Origin, securing the winning score of 49 out of 60.
The cousins took judges Manu Feildel, Matt Preston and Gary Mehigan to Greece by cooking octopus, a symbol of Greek summer. It was a near perfect main, aside from Manu’s tasting plate which was slightly undercooked.
But it was their dessert which really went off with a bang – literally.
