Key points
- Faith leaders stand by the NSW government to spread the COVID-19 vaccination message
- Archbishop Makarios was vaccinated a couple of weeks ago
- He dubs the vaccine, ‘the only light at the end of the tunnel’’ of the pandemic
Some of them received their COVID-19 jab at the Homebush vaccination hub in Sydney.
Archbishop Makarios received the second dose of the vaccine against coronavirus in early May.
In a public statement supporting the campaign, the Archbishop urged the public regardless of religion and ethnicity to vaccinate against COVID-19.
I would like to give this strong message to our brothers and sisters in NSW and all of Australia. The only solution that we have to get rid of the pandemic, the only light at the end of the tunnel, is to get vaccinated. I encourage all people, it doesn't matter if you are Greek or not, Christians or not, Muslims or whatever. Please get vaccinated.
The campaign’s aim is to boost the state government’s strategy targeting diverse communities by reaching out to their respective religious and cultural leaders.
Premier Gladys Berejiklian thanked leaders for their work in sharing coronavirus messaging throughout the pandemic.
"To all of our religious leaders and cultural leaders in NSW, who have done an outstanding job during COVID in supporting us to get out the message in what it takes to keep our community safe. If it was not for them, we would not be in the strong position we had."
In a Greek Orthodox Archdiocese announcement on Saturday 8 May following his vaccination, Archbishop Makarios said he followed the lead of Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew motivating the public to trust and respect the expert advice.
