GREECE FLIGHTENING!
Greece to allow overseas tourists in weeks – but Brits may have to wait
GREECE is set to welcome foreign visitors back to the country from June 15, as its resumes its long-awaited holiday season.
Seasonal hotels are expected to open in the country next month, with the first visitors arriving over land from neighbouring Balkan states.
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International flights from a selective group of countries will then be able to fly directly to tourist hot spots from July 1, although it is unlikely that the UK will be on that list.
Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis revealed that a list of countries soon able to travel to Greece will be announced before the end of May.
SELECT FEW
The chosen countries will be based on epidemiological criteria set out by experts dealing with the coronavirus pandemic in Greece.
In an address to Greeks on Wednesday evening prime minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said: “The tourist season will begin on 15 June when seasonal hotels will be able to open. And from July 1st direct international flights will gradually begin to our tourist destinations.”
Brits are not expected to be among the first to be allowed into Greece.
On Thursday, local media with good connections to the government said the first to be able to fly in to Greece would be nations from Australia, Cyprus, Israel, China, Japan, Denmark, Austria and neighbouring Balkan states.
EXCLUDED COUNTRIES
Some other countries might be excluded, depending on their coronavirus situation - the UK is expected to be on this list/
Those countries would be closely watched, with a view to re-establishing direct flights when the situation allows.
Greek tourism minister Haris Theoharis told ITV News that our current coronavirus rates would not allow us to be able to visit.
He said: “I think that the UK has a big difference in terms of the current medical status of the country with Greece, so I don’t think it’s likely it will be there."
If our rates improve, then Mr Theoharis said we would be allowed back in.
Speaking in a televised address to the nation yesterday, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said visitors would be subject to sample coronavirus testing.
But holidaymakers arriving will not be subject to mandatory quarantine or blanket testing of all arrivals.
The announcement comes after Greece and Portugal offered "air bridges" for British tourists to escape the 14-day quarantine.
It would involve the UK stopping its two-week quarantine for Greek tourists - and Greece would reciprocate the favour.
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People living in Greece have already started to enjoy their summer at home, as public beaches and major tourist attractions reopened over the weekend.
The country imposed its lockdown fairly early on in its coronavirus outbreak, meaning the number of deaths and critically ill people there were kept at low levels.
On Wednesday, health authorities announced one new death and 10 new confirmed coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of dead to 166 and the total number of confirmed cases to 2,850 in the country of nearly 11 million.
Greek tourism minister Harry Theoharis calls for the UK to stop their two-week quarantine and kickstart holidays for Brits