Greek government spokesperson Stelios Petsas referred to the safety and effectiveness of the vaccines in an interview with Open TV on Saturday, ANA reports. Analyzing the government’s plan, he noted that all the vulnerable groups will have been vaccinated until the end of March and until the end of June to have built the desirable wall of immunity. RELATED TOPICS: Greece, Greek tourism … [Read more...]

Greece, the home of one of the oldest civilizations on the globe, is blessed with thousands of priceless monuments, from the Parthenon, the temple at Sounion, and the site of Delphi, just to name a few. But perhaps no physical structure anywhere is as important as the living monument of a spoken language which originates directly from the ancient world, according to greekreporter.com. One such … [Read more...]

"The hope is now here!" posted Deputy Civil Protection and Crises Management Minister Nikos Hardalias on his Facebook account after the arrival of the first vaccines against COVID-19 late Friday in Athens, ANA reports. Nevertheless, he underlined that the arrival of the vaccine does not mean the end of the pandemic "ιs just the beginning of its end» he said adding that "we must continue to observe … [Read more...]

Αssociated Press reports from Athens that the first vaccines against the coronavirus have arrived in Greece. The first 9,750 doses arrived overland, crossing from the Bulgarian border in the north Friday evening, with the van carrying them escorted by six police cars, a video taken at the border indicates. Vaccinations will start at five Athens hospitals Sunday, with health personnel and elderly … [Read more...]

The SARS-CoV-2 viral load in sewage taken from the city of Thessaloniki is dropping according to a weekly report based on measurements taken by the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (AUTH) in collaboration with the city's water and sewage company, EYATh, ANA reports.The samples in the previous week that were concluded on Christmas showed that after a week, during which the viral load remained … [Read more...]

Digital platform emvolio.gov.gr, through which citizens of Greece register to be vaccinated against COVID-19, went ‘online’ earlier this week, greekcitytimes.com reports. As of January, citizens with an online-confirmed appointment will go to specified vaccination centers where their temperature will be taken. Then a doctor will take down their medical history and decide if the process may … [Read more...]

Greece fell an unenviable 19 spots, within a month, on Bloomberg's Covid Resilience index, which ranks the best to worst places in the world to live amid the ongoing pandemic, naftemporiki.gr reports. Last month, the country was in 31st place, falling to 50th in December, ahead of only Peru, Argentina, and Mexico. The poor showing is due to a significant increase in the number of daily fatalities, … [Read more...]

Greece is now marked green on the latest map of the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) for the coronavirus on Thursday, ekathimerini.com reports. This means the test positivity rate of Covid-19 dropped below 4 per cent last week and the notification rate is lower than 25 cases per 100,000 people. The maps are based on data reported by EU member states to the European … [Read more...]

Τhe National Public Health Organisation announced 617 new certified coronavirus incidents in Greece on Friday, five of them located following tests at the country's entrance gates, ANA reports.The total number of certified coronavirus infections in Greece is now 134,852, 52 pct of whose are men. 5,302 (3.9 pct) of the incidents are related to a trip abroad and 39,813 (29.5 pct) with an already … [Read more...]

Due to coronavirus restrictions, Greeks are celebrating the holidays in the most traditional way in decades, foregoing outings at the bar or parties with friends — activities which are now banned — to spend time with their families on Christmas and New Year’s Eve. The pandemic has brought the importance of family into focus for many, as the distance from loved ones, illness, and more time spent at … [Read more...]

Stricter measures to fight the spread of coronavirus in three West Attica municipalities and in northern Greece's Kozani region were extended to 18:00 on December 30, Civil Protection announced on Thursday, ANA reports. In particular, the three cities had 166 active cases, 65 and 30, respectively on December 17, when strict measures were imposed. On Wednesday evening, these numbers were at 178, … [Read more...]

The Hellenic Museum, Melbourne’s iconic hub of Greek culture and history, both ancient and modern, will be hosting a fascinating course called “City, town, and country in ancient Greece” in January via Zoom, according to greekreporter.com. The educational program will allow learners to delve into the ancient Greek world to better understand the massive influence of ancient Greek culture, religion, … [Read more...]

The restaurant "O Kritikos" in Piraeus which is offering everyday food to the poor visited on Friday (Christmas) by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, ANA reports.According to sources, the specific restaurant had offered food to people in need living in Keratsini, Drapetsona, and Perama during the lockdown last spring and also in this period's quarantine. It started with 50 portions per day which … [Read more...]

The snow that fell a few days ago in New York inspired Greek artist Marios Tzavellas to sculpt a Greek god, according to thenationalherald.com. Tzavellas went for a walk in Astoria Park on December 17 following the snowfall. There, he started his creation with the initial idea of making a snowman along with fellow artist Melissa Vadakara, according to the Queens Daily Eagle. In the process, … [Read more...]

Αssociated Press reports from Athens that it's been a while since visitors to Greece sought out souvenirs in Athens' oldest neighborhood. The winding streets of Plaka, laid out long before the city imported a grid system, are lined with closed stores behind aluminum shutters. The coronavirus pandemic has kept tourists away from the historic city center that forms a semi-circle around the … [Read more...]

The interest for the General Mining and Metallurgical Company LARCO appears to be higher from the one we initially expected, stated Environment and Energy Minister Kostis Hatzidakis in an interview with the newspaper Real News on Friday, ANA reports. Hatzidakis pointed out the USA's interest in energy projects in Greece underlining that "the US energy investments may, at a point, operate also as … [Read more...]

Five Athens metro stations will shut down at police's order on Friday (Christmas) in the context of measures against congestion and transmission of the coronavirus, ANA reports. The stations of Syntagma, Panepistimio, Acropolis, Monastiraki, and Thissio will close from 17:00 to 21:00 as it is considered a crucial period mostly for a walk in the city's center. RELATED … [Read more...]

"It may take some time but currently the solutions we have in our hands are so effective that it is only a matter of time to reach the end" of the pandemic, announced Pfizer CEO Albert Bourla late Thursday to the public broadcaster ERT, according to ANA.On the virus' mutation, Bourla said that it will take some time to understand how dangerous it is and stated "cautiously optimistic that the … [Read more...]

Greece registered 873 new coronavirus cases on Thursday, of which 6 were identified at the country's entry points, said the National Public Health Organization (EODY), according to ANA. EODY also registered 55 new deaths, bringing coronavirus fatalities to 4,457 in total. The median age of all fatalities was 79 years, 95,5 pct had an underlying condition and/or were aged 70 or more, and 1,798 were … [Read more...]

 Audiences worldwide are talking about the two films presented on demand this month by the Hellenic Film Society USA. The Greek films, romantic drama MATIA APO NYXTA (Eyes of Night), and the comedy GUINESS, are available now through January 2. MATIA APO NYXTA, directed by Pericles Hoursoglou, is a gripping drama about three people searching for love and connection. Not widely seen in the U.S. … [Read more...]