ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece stated on Wednesday that pandemic restrictions akin to mask-wearing indoors and COVID certificates will probably be lifted all through the summer tourism interval and authorities will contemplate reinstating them in September.
Coronavirus infections in Greece have eased in latest weeks, with authorities recording 15,000 infections and 64 deaths on Tuesday. Out of a inhabitants of 11 million, some 72% are absolutely vaccinated.
Greece’s important summer tourism season sometimes begins after the Orthodox Easter, which this yr falls on April 24. Greece is anticipating excessive numbers of holiday makers this yr, with officers predicting revenues reaching 80% of 2019 ranges, a file yr earlier than the pandemic introduced journey to a halt.
Health Minister Thanos Plevris stated the choice to ease restrictions was “based mostly on the epidemiological knowledge and recommendations from specialists.”
From May 1 to August 31, the general public will now not have to current coronavirus vaccination or sickness certificates to enter indoor or open areas akin to eating places, and authorities are additionally contemplating lifting the requirement of presenting an EU digital COVID certificates to enter the nation.
In addition, sporting masks indoors will now not be necessary as of June 1 and college students will return to class after the Easter break without having to commonly current unfavorable self-tests.
Plevris stated all measures will probably be re-evaluated in September.
Greece, probably the most standard summer tourism locations in southern Europe, attracted greater than 33 million guests in 2019, most of them from Britain and Germany. The trade accounts for a couple of fifth of the economic system and employs one in 5 folks.
(Reporting by Karolina Tagaris; Editing by Tomasz Janowski)
