The spread of the highly transmissible, if milder, Omicron variant of the coronavirus is creating a new reality, whereby the slightest symptom, such as a blocked nose or a scratchy throat, will be considered to be a likely symptom of Covid-19.
Archbishop of America Elpidophoros on Friday wished a “happy, safe and healthy New Year to all” in a video posted on Twitter.
European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde said she won’t allow games to be played with Greek bonds and announced measures that will ensure Greece keeps its borrowing costs low.
The new year is the time for Greeks to “take back their lives and dignity,” opposition SYRIZA leader Alexis Tsipras said on Friday, adding that “2022 can and should be the year of big change” and a “new start.”
“The weeks ahead will bring waves, but we have the power to put the storm behind us and lead the country into calm waters,” Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in his New Year’s message on Friday.
Turkey will “intensify efforts” for the demilitarization of Greece’s islands and is prepared to challenge their sovereignty if Greece does not demilitarize them, Foreign Minister Mevlut Cavusoglu indicated in comments on Friday.
The upward swing in new coronavirus cases hit another all-time high on Friday, with the National Organization for Public Health (EODY) confirming 40,560 infections in the 24-hour period from Thursday’s record of 35,580 cases.
Friday’s half-session at Athinon Avenue brought the year to an end with gains of 10.43% for the benchmark – a fairly satisfactory result that is mostly attributed to the first half of the year.
The New Year will be getting off to an unseasonably warm start, Greece’s weather service (EMY) reported on Friday, forecasting daytime highs of as much as 18 degrees Celsius on the mainland and 19 Celsius on the islands.
A big basement area at the Aristotle University of Thessaloniki, northern Greece, was vacated by police on Friday after 34 years of serving as a squat and hideout for self-styled anarchists.