Darwin Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis urges people to get vaccinated, hits back at conspiracy theories
Darwin’s Lord Mayor has hit out at a conspiratorial letter claiming Michael Gunner would introduce Covid-19 into the Greek community, as well as a Greek priest who claimed the Covid-19 vaccine was a ‘experimental biological agent’.
Northern Territory
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DARWIN Lord Mayor Kon Vatskalis has hit back at Covid-19 conspiracy theories after one of the city’s most prominent Greek priests claimed vaccines were ‘experimental biological agents’.
Mr Vatskalis, who is a member of the Greek community, also slammed a letter written by Gerry Koukouvas of the Kalymnian Brotherhood which claimed a Covid-19 outbreak in Darwin would be pinned on the Greeks.
“I read that letter, and fell off my chair,’ Mr Vatskalis told ABC Radio Darwin on Wednesday morning.
“I’m really disappointed, I’m really angry.”
Mr Vatskalis emphasised that Covid-19 posed the biggest risk to people aged 70 and over, and said he had received the AstraZeneca vaccine.
Mr Vatskalis also made reference to Father Joel, saying he was “very angry (with) what was happening, and especially when leaders are not leading, and protecting their congregation, but they’re giving information that they have no scientific standing”.
The NT News on Wednesday reported that Father Joel, from the St Nicholas Church in Darwin, claimed the vaccines were “experimental biological agents”.
A separate letter addressed to Chief Minister Michael Gunner circulated over the weekend from the Kalymnian Brotherhood, claiming the NT would see a fake Covid-19 outbreak on September 25 which would be pinned on the Top End’s Greek community.
Both Father John and Ms Koukouvas denied requests for comment from the NT News.
Mr Gunner said the conspiracy theories were a fringe view, did not represent the views of the wider Greek community and were false.
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