Coronavirus: Pilgrimage from Naxos to Kythira

There has been an uproar in Naxos in recent days over the pilgrimage to Kythira, which has brought several new cases of coronavirus to the island.

The pilgrimage was organized by the priest, chaplain of the church of Agios Spyridonas in Agersani, Naxos, and 53 people participated. The destination was Kythira and the pilgrimage to Panagia Myrtidiotissa on the island.

The trip began on the island on Thursday, October 15, where the travelers traveled by Champion Jet to Athens and from there, the next day, with a stopover in Syntagma so that other travelers could join, the journey to Kythira began by road and then by boat.

The excursionists returned to Naxos on Monday afternoon, October 19.

Tests and cases

A team from the National Public Health Organization visited the island (from October 22 to 24), and some of the tourists who showed symptoms of Covid-19 decided it would be best to get tested for the coronavirus...

The test was positive for some, such as an entire family of five who participated in the trip, all of whom were diagnosed with the disease. However, according to reliable information from naxostimes.gr, there are still many who participated in the pilgrimage and have either tested positive for coronavirus or have symptoms and are quarantined in their homes.

Reactions and questions

The incident became known on the island and many residents were outraged by the event and the decision of both the priest and the participants in the midst of a pandemic, to go on a pilgrimage when the risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection was quite high at a time when the virus was spreading more rapidly than ever in the country.

“Why should we be blamed for so many people coming here with coronavirus and spreading it all over the island?” they note in discussions, comments, and posts on social media.

Do they have an individual responsibility to quarantine themselves and protect their fellow citizens?;
Do they know if they have coronavirus? Are they asymptomatic? Are they sick? Have they all been tested?;

Civil Protection and the EODY are doing their job, but that is not enough. We must all show responsibility and personal accountability in order to protect ourselves and those around us.

On the other hand, the participants went on the trip of their own free will, knowing the risks involved, and of course there was no ban on any travel.

What happened during the entire trip? What happened inside the bus that carried 53 people for more than 6 hours?;

Were the measures being followed? Were they wearing masks? Were they keeping their distance? Was the number of passengers on the bus in line with the EODY guidelines and protocols?; We don't know that...

The Metropolis did not grant permission

There was also much discussion about the Metropolitan of Paronaxia, whether he was aware of the pilgrimage and whether it took place with his blessing and permission...

The response came from the Metropolis on Wednesday afternoon, which explicitly and categorically stated that it had not only refused to grant permission for this trip, but also for any other since the start of the pandemic.

So, surprisingly, the priest in charge organized the trip without obtaining permission from the Metropolis.

Kythira

However, Kythira, which belongs to the Regional Unit of Attica Islands, is at Level 2 Surveillance (yellow) according to the COVID-19 Health Map, just as Naxos was before the trip.

The trip brought more cases of coronavirus to the island, and the risk of the disease spreading is clearly greater than it was before.

It should be noted that from early October until the date of arrival of the tourists, the island already had an increased epidemiological burden, with 18 confirmed cases.

Consequently, there were already other sources of infection, to which the pilgrimage was added, leading Naxos to an orange alert.

Finally, it is worth mentioning that the church of Agios Spyridonas in Ageras has been closed for disinfection and will remain closed for the next few days.