People who are vaccinated against COVID-19, have antibodies or test negative will be able to travel to Greece in time for its summer season, Tourism Minister Harry Theocharis said on Tuesday, according to Reuters.
The report added that Greece is aiming to kick off its summer season by mid-May; Theocharis made the announcement as he addressed the ITB Berlin trade show from the Athens Acropolis Museum. A representative for Kalesma Mykonos tells Travel Agent that the country is specifically looking at May 14 for its reopening.
To prepare for the reopening, Theocharis said Greek authorities would prioritize the vaccination of those in the hospitality sector once the most vulnerable populations were vaccinated. Frequent testing of employees will also be mandated, he added.
Currently, only residents from the European Union, along with travelers from Australia, New Zealand, Rwanda, Singapore, South Korea, Thailand and the United Arab Emirates may enter Greece—and all of them must enter quarantine for seven days upon arrival. Negative test results are required and must be taken with 72 hours of departure (excluding children under 10). Travelers must also fill out ahead of time a Passenger Locator Form.
Recently, the European Travel Commission proposed to introduce a common, interoperable and mutually recognized Digital Green Certificate, which would be proof that a person has been vaccinated against COVID-19, has recovered from the virus or has a negative test result. The New York Times reports that Greece is one of the countries leading the charge for a vaccination certificate to be implemented.
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