ATHENS – As part of a plan to revitalize its crucial tourism sector, Greece lifts quarantine restrictions starting Monday for arrivals from EU member states and several other countries, including the United States and the United Kingdom.
The measure effectively opens the country’s borders to travelers to the United States for the first time in more than a year.
After suffering heavy economic losses last year due to the pandemic, Greece is determined to save its summer tourist season, even though a third wave of coronavirus infections is in full swing. The pressure on hospitals is high, with about 200,000 active coronavirus infections and a death toll of 9,462 as of Sunday.
Greece has previously requested quarantined arrivals for seven days, but will waive this rule for passengers in listed countries as long as they have a vaccination certificate or a negative PCR test performed within 72 hours of their arrival.
The relaxation of the rule will also apply to passengers in Serbia and the United Arab Emirates and will sound like a system implemented last month for Israeli passengers, which has a world-leading inoculation campaign.
Greek government officials say the goal is a “gradual” reception of tourists before a planned official reopening of the country’s tourism sector on May 14th.
A test was organized last week by experts in the tourism industry on the island of Rhodes in the southern Aegean Sea, with a group of 188 Dutch tourists.
Dutch visitors were offered the exclusive use of a hotel on the island, to which they were limited during an eight-day holiday. They have been tested for coronavirus before their arrival, during their stay and before their departure on Monday and will have to self-quarantine for 10 days on return. The process is considered successful so far everywhere, although eight of the groups were forced to isolate themselves in the hotel after the inconclusive test results in the middle of the holiday. Follow-up tests were negative.
Authorities have stepped up tests in recent weeks as they gradually lift lock restrictions – retail stores were allowed to open this month on a scheduled basis only, and high schools reopened after a five-month closure. Free self-administered weekly rapid tests are available at Greek pharmacies, and their use is mandatory in schools, as well as in most of the retail sector.