Western Macedonia

The mayor and the deputy regional governor in the town and regional unit of Grevena, northern Greece, expressed their opposition to a government plan to house refugees and migrants in hotels in the mountainous parts of the region in the coming days, as part of ongoing efforts to relieve pressure on camps on the islands.

One year old bear cups, Bradley and Cooper, named after the famous Hollywood star, eat after waking up from winter hibernation, during the coronavirus disease (Covid-19) outbreak, in the village of Nymfaio, located near Florina, in northern Greece. The picture was taken on April, 2020. [Arcturos/Handout via Reuters]

Greek authorities lifted on Monday the strict restrictions on movement for two mountainous villages in western Macedonia which had been placed on lockdown since March 16 due to a cluster of coronavirus deaths and infections.

Two villages in western Macedonia were quarantined on Monday where authorities have recorded in the past few days three deaths from the new coronavirus and more than 10 infections, according to the General Secretariat of Civil Protection.

The villages, Damaskinia and Dragasia, are located between the towns of Kozani and Kastoria.

More than 50 dogs were fatally poisoned within the space of 10 days in villages of the regions of Florina and Amyntaio in northern Greece, according to reports received by the Arcturos wildlife protection group, the Hellenic Ornithological Society and the Callisto nature conservation organization from locals and livestock breeders.

The Arcturos bear sanctuary in the village of Nymfaio, near Florina, on Tuesday announced that five orphan bear cubs that were cared for at its facilities have now been released back into the wild.

The region of Epirus in northwestern Greece is setting the bar for the rest of the country in terms of waste management with the formal launch of a state-of-the-art unit through the collaboration of the private and state sectors.

Temperatures dropped below zero in several mountainous regions of Greece on Thursday, as the cold snap that started on December 25 continued to affect the country.

Schools remained closed in the areas of Florina, Grevena and Kozani on Monday as a cold snap that set in over the weekend continued with low temperatures and snowfall.

The bad weather was forecast to spread to the Aegean, the Peloponnese and Thrace with storms expected in parts.

Crews working at an area in Western Macedonia where a lignite mine used by Public Power Corporation (PPC) collapsed last year have unearthed a two-meter prehistoric tusk, state-run news agency ANA-MPA reported on Wednesday.