Greece’s first woman president urges public ‘to avoid spreading panic’ over coronavirus

Newly sworn-in President Katerina Sakellaropoulou, left, and outgoing Greek President Prokopis Pavlopoulos during the handover ceremony at the presidential palace in Athens on Friday. (AFP)

• Sakellaropoulou urged the public to follow health warnings “to avoid spreading panic” which could tear apart the health system and harm the economy

ATHENS: Greece’s first woman president began her term on Friday with a pledge to protect the country’s borders and defend human rights, while warning Greeks to follow health rules as the country grapples with over 100 coronavirus cases.
Katerina Sakellaropoulou, a 63-year-old former senior judge, said she would “walk together” with Greeks to create a “prosperous” and “cosmopolitan” future “that includes all of us.”
Greece has so far announced 117 cases of the coronavirus, one of whom died on Thursday after 10 days in hospital.
Three people are in intensive care and the government has shut down schools and universities, courts, cinemas, gyms and other indoor public gathering areas for two weeks in an effort to curb the outbreak.
Sakellaropoulou urged the public to follow health warnings “to avoid spreading panic” which could tear apart the health system and harm the economy.
Sakellaropoulou took a religious oath in parliament before Archbishop Ieronymos, head of the Orthodox Church of Greece.
She placed a wreath at the Tomb of the Unknown Soldier — Greece’s foremost military monument — before heading to the presidential mansion for a handover ceremony with outgoing President Prokopis Pavlopoulos.

FASTFACTS

• The oath ceremony was drastically scaled back as a result of the virus outbreak, with around 150 guests present instead of a planned 1,000 — and no handshakes.

• Greece has so far announced 117 cases of the coronavirus, one of whom died on Thursday after 10 days in hospital.

Known as low-key and living in a working class district of Athens, Sakellaropoulou has made it known she prefers to be called Katerina, instead of the more formal Ekaterini.
The ceremony in parliament was drastically scaled back as a result of the virus outbreak, with around 150 guests present instead of a planned 1,000 — and no handshakes.
Nominated by Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis, Sakellaropoulou was elected by parliament in January by 261 out of 300 lawmakers, one of the broadest cross-party majorities in Greek history.
The petite, bespectacled former judge has set out her priorities as tackling the economic crisis, climate change and mass migration.