Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis on Wednesday chaired a government video conference on the “Help at Home” programme for the support of vulnerable groups. Among those participating in the meeting were Interior Minister Takis Theodorikakos, the president of the Association of Greek Regions, Apostolos Tzitzikostas, and the president fo the Central Union of Municipalities of Greece, Dimitris Papastergiou.

Mitsotakis emphasised the need to ensure that the message to “stay at home” was firmly drilled into society, noting that the government will not hesitate to intervene and make the framework of restrictions against coronavirus stricter, if this was judged necessary.

He said that April will be a crucial month, despite the fact that “up to now we are doing better than other countries,” and that it would be unacceptable to “throw away” this advantage.

Th prime minister praised local government’s contribution to the programme, which he described as ‘absolutely crucial’ for the support of the people that cannot and should not leave their home under current conditions.

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“Now is the time for a real social imprint and to prove that we are addressing this crisis united,” he said.

The meeting discussed how to deepen cooperation between central government and local authorities, which have already received 15.7 million euros from the Interior Ministry to address the extraordinary needs deriving from the coronavirus crisis, adding that an additional 12 million euros will be offered for the support of citizens in need.

Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister responsible for the coordination of the government’s work Akis Skertsos, Deputy Minister to the Prime Minister and government spokesperson Stelios Petsas and the Prime Minister’s general secretary Grigoris Dimitriadis also participated.

Source: amna