08 Apr 2020 08Apr 2020 Positive News about Greece In the Corona Crisis Cnn reports … “ Seeing this COVID-19 crisis unfold from here in Athens, I’ve been calmly reassured by the decisive steps taken by the Mitsotakis government to quickly tack accordingly in order to contain a virus which does not operate by any rules. From making the difficult decision to shutter bars and nightclubs to, hours later, doing the same for coffee shops, restaurants and other stores, then enforcing the closure of non-essential stores and now restricting the movement of Greek citizens, the Prime Minister and his team have shown their deftness in making critical decisions and responding to fast-moving developments in real time. They’ve also been quick to spearhead a response that seems highly coordinated, with regular text messages in Greek and English, effective government messaging on social media and the robust “Menoume Spiti” (Μενουμε σπιτι) public service campaign. For readers outside Greece who might have a certain image of a country ravaged by ten years of crisis in mind, one observation is that even as restrictions have tightened as the pandemic has come into full force, grocery stores have consistently been well-stocked with plenty of pasta, toilet paper and disinfectant for everyone. In direct contrast, I’ve been hearing from family and friends in Canada that toilet paper and antibacterial supplies have been in short supply for six weeks, that grocery store shelves have been empty and hoarding and price-gouging have been rampant. Observing the response and daily interactions of Greek citizens has also been enlightening. For the most part, people here seem to be taking everything seriously but, thankfully, don’t seem panicked. When the restaurant closures were announced, I visited a grocery store before closing time; it was only slightly busier than usual. “ (Malathronas, 2020, S.1.) Malathronas, J. (25th March 2020). 10 things Greece does better than anywhere else. accessed on 7th. April.2020, from https://edition.cnn.com/travel/article/greece-does-better-than-anywhere/index.html Follow us on social media: Tags: News
