Church will abide by safety measures, says Archbishop

The Greek orthodox Church will fully implement the social distancing and safety rules announced by the government to stem the spread of the coronavirus, Archbishop of Athens and All Greece Ieronymos said on Tuesday.

“From the first moment the pandemic appeared, our Church stood, as it should, with all its strength, on the side of the responsible Greek government and the Greek people, for the effective tackling of this national ordeal,” Ieronymos said in a written response to journalists’ questions.

“Today, when the danger of a pandemic seems to be threatening our country again, our Church, again, must rise to the occasion. And it will,” he added.

Greek health authorities on Tuesday announced 121 new infections in the country, the highest number since April 21.

In a bid to underscore the gravity of the situation, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis is expected to issue a televised message to the nation during a teleconference on the virus on the need to show greater caution.