National Committee on COVID-19

The ministries of health and education today decided that there will be no compulsory public health measures to protect against the spread of the current highly transmissible variant of COVID-19 at schools nationwide, which are scheduled to re-open on 12 September.

Health Minister Thanos Plevris today announced that there will be a loosening of public health measures as of 19 February, following the approval of the advisory National Committee on COVID-19.

The National Committee on COVID-19 will reportedly recommend a ban on all carnival parades and celebrations this year and, according to sources, will reject any further loosening of public health restrictions currently in effect

The grandest carnival parade is held every year in the port city of Patras, and thousands from around the country flock to participate in the festivities.

Athens University Medical School Professor of Hygiene and Epidemiology Gkikas Magorkinis, a prominent member and spokesman for the National Committee on COVID-19, touched on the emergence of the Omicron 2 sub-variant of COVID-19 at today's weekly press briefing.

The 5,440 COVID-19 cases confirmed in the last 24 hours by the National Organisation of Public Health have caused heightened concern in the government because the projection of experts is that the number of cases through much of November will be over 5,000 daily, with the accompanying burden on the National Health System.

Nearly a month after the government lifted restrictions on COVID-19 vaccinated individuals in high-risk red zones, it is reviewing possible public health restrictions in those zones, such as northern Greece, where the vaccination rate is particularly low and hospitals are reeling with ICUs filled to capacity.

With hospitals in northern Greece already over-burdened with COVID-19 cases, in large measure because of the low rate of vaccination in the region (in some areas as low as 40 percent), experts on the National Committee on COVID-19 are expressing deep concerns of a major spike in cases in the region in the next two months

With hospitals in northern Greece already over-burdened with COVID-19 cases, in large measure because of the low rate of vaccination in the region (in some areas as low as 40 percent), experts on the National Committee on COVID-19 are expressing deep concerns of a major spike in cases in the region in the next two months

In a bid to persuade people in areas epidemiologically characterised as high-risk red zones, which as a rule have very low vaccination rates, to get the COVID-19 jab, Health Minister Thanos Plevris today announced that there will no longer be lockdowns in red zones and that vaccinated residents in those area will not be subjected to greater restrictions than in areas that have a good epidemiolo

By Ioannis Konidaris*

On Sunday, 25 July all Orthodox Churches around Greece were sent an Encyclical issued by the Holy Synod with the heading "To the People [Congregation]" with the purpose, according to the report of a creditable daily, "to mobilise priests and the people to be vaccinated".