Cephalonia declared earthquake-stricken area

Chryssohoidis said that the island will be placed under special support programmes, applicable in such cases, while in the coming days he will sign a common ministerial decision with Finance Minister Yannis Stournaras to help those affected.
The state will pay the rent

of those whose homes were deemed presently uninhabitable, it will finance the restoration of buildings, and it will create a settlement on the island for those who do not wish to rent another house.
Chryssohoidis said that a scientific team, including 100 engineers along with seismologists and engineers from the Technical Chamber of Greece, have already come to the island to inspect all public buildings. According to first estimates, around 600 buildings are deemed demolished, 1,100 heavy damaged and 1,400 with minor damage throughout the region of Palliki while there are several problems in public infrastructure such as roads, ports and public buildings that need restoration.
The minister stressed the need for the proper operation of the airport, which has suffered very little damage, as the island depends on tourism.
The minister is heading to Lixouri to inspect the damage that Monday’s earthquake – the most recent on the island – has caused and to talk with the residents. Education Ministers Costas Arvanitopoulos, Health Minister Adonis Georgiadis and Tourism Minister Olga Kefalogianni are also on their way to Lixouri.
Tourism minister announces measures to safeguard Cephalonia’s tourism reputation
Minister of Tourism Olga Kefalogianni, speaking during a ministerial meeting on Cephalonia on Tuesday, stressed the support by the government to the residents of the earthquake-struck island and emphasized the important role that tourism plays in the development of the local economy.
The assessment of the situation in Cephalonia and actions for the immediate future were at the heart of the discussion during the meeting held at the city hall of Argostoli.
Kefalogianni also announced a series of concrete actions to protect Cephalonia’s reputation as a popular tourist destination.
The actions she presented related to communication strategies to support the tourist image of the island, including using the internet to promote it as a safe destination in all major international exhibitions abroad such as Milan, Berlin and Moscow; promotional events on the island; and promotion through offices of the Greek National Tourism Organization (EOT) abroad with foreign journalists and travel agents, and by showing the true situation on the island.
ND delegation briefs the prime minister on its visit to Cephalonia
The members of a New Democracy (ND) parliamentary group delegation briefed the prime minister on the outcome of their visit to the earthquake-stricken Ionian island.
ND parliamentary group general secretary Athanassios Bouras, parliamentary spokesperson Sophia Voultepsi and alternate general secretary Dimitris Tsoumanis visited the island by order of the prime minister, a party announcement said.
The delegation attended Coordinating Body meetings and the briefing of government ministers who have arrived on Cephalonia. They also visited the region of Lixouri, cooperated with local authorities and recorded problems and requests.
The prime minister received a memo with the recommendations of the ND delegation which will continue to follow closely the island’s rehabilitation course.
Schools to remain closed until Friday
Schools on Cephalonia will remain closed until Friday, Education Minister Constantinos Arvanitopoulos told ANA-MPA on Tuesday.
“Schools will remain closed until Friday to conclude inspection, re-evaluate the situation and decide further action. We have also asked the School Buildings Organization to provide us with prefabricated school halls, 10 of which will be delivered today while the remaining 30 by the end of the coming week,” Arvanitopoulos said.
“Our main concern is student’s safety but we also focused on restarting the educational procedure. For psychological reasons, students should go back to schools but in a safe way,” he said.
Three school buildings were found to have suffered damage, according to the first inspection, Arvanitopoulos said. “After the second inspection, that has already started and will be concluded tomorrow morning, we will consider and evaluate the situation.”
The minister also referred to the island’s infrastructure, saying that “the airport is fully operational. The Argostoli-Lixouri road has been restored, but the main issue is the Lixouri port, which has been significantly damaged.”

source: ΑΜΝΑ