The good side of Greece radiates

Elona Angoli sewed 600 masks in Grevena. The Saabo family is doing the same in Trikala.

In every corner of Greece an "outbreak" of donations and volunteering and a strong mobilization in the battle against the coronavirus is manifesting.

Residents of Nea Filadelfeia donated more than 200 units of blood. In Agia Paraskevi, 114 units were collected. In Petrana and Kroko Kozanis, 15 and 21 units respectively.

A network of Emergency Seamstresses is created in 37 prefectures to arm the front line with 40,000 reusable masks. The volunteers of Covid-19 Response Greece design and manufacture more than 25,000 face shields. And they keep going.

The #cook4heroes initiative prepares meals for doctors and nurses in Athens. The "Pammakaristos" Children's Foundation feeds vulnerable in Marathonas. In Larissa, Petit Amour offers 100 profiterole. Zagori covers drinking water needs in Ioannina. Everest takes care of juices and coffees in public hospitals.

240 volunteers from Papastratos take it upon themselves to distribute using their personal vehicles medicines, groceries and essential goods from 112 municipalities to citizens' homes. Toyota equips the "Help at Home" program with 150 vehicles.

Local groups contribute in every way. The "Friends of Chios Paths" and the Kozani Political Pensioners Association give money from their reserves. The Association of Cancer Patients and Rare Diseases of Evros "Together for Life" donates protective glasses, aprons and shoe covers. The Rethymno Carnival Groups offer a disinfection unit.

The Association of Traditional Distillers of Heraklion offers 5 tonnes of tsikoudia for the production of alcohol. The Panhellenic Union of Pharmaceutical Industry produces antiseptics for free, making use of 125 tonnes of confiscated ethyl alcohol. Lab units of the National Technical University of Athens are made available for the production of sanitary materials.

Ellaktor undertakes the management of hospital waste at NIMTS. The Hatzisalatas company takes care of disinfection needs and air filter changes at the University Hospital of Larissa. In Crete, Cosmos Sport donates 350 pairs of special hospital shoes.

The Onassis Foundation secures 13,500,000 protective masks for the country and Aegean Airlines together with Hellenic Petroleum offer 10 flights to transport medical supplies.

Spyros Papadopoulos, Eleonora Meleti and Thodoris Atheridis participate pro bono in information campaigns. Giorgos Karagounis and Giorgos Printezis donate ventilators to Rhodes and Syros. Μέλιsses contribute money.

President of the Republic Katerina Sakellaropoulou offers 50% of her salary for the months of April and May. A large number of MPs, mayors, regional governors and MEPs follow her example.

The Athens Medical Group grants the entire Peristeri Clinic to the National Health System for the coming months. Euroclinic, Henry Dunant, Hygeia, Metropolitan and the IASO Group are all contributing significant numbers of hospital beds.

The Stavros Niarchos Foundation is giving a $100 million boost in the battle against coronavirus.

Sotiris Tsiodras guides and inspires an entire country responsibly, and with modesty and sensitivity.

Thousands of doctors, nurses, rescuers, ambulance drivers, cleaners, researchers, technicians, pharmacists, police officers, coast guards, firefighters, military personnel, cashiers, supermarket workers, transporters, delivery drivers and many other invisible heroes are working tirelessly during this critical period.

In this unprecedented pandemic, the good side of Greece has emerged and is radiating.

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 Greek solidarity in numbers

In just a few weeks, hundreds of donations have significantly increased the capacity of the National Health System and the country's reserves of critical health care and protective equipment.

By conservative estimates, over 750 ICU beds and vital signs monitors, and more than 850 ventilators, have already been donated or given to coronavirus reference hospitals. For reference, 2 months ago Greece's NHS consisted of just 565 ICU beds in total.

Click below for a detailed spreadsheet, in Greek, of hundreds of donations that have been made so far in the battle against the coronavirus in Greece.

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