Greece is easing COVID-19 travel restrictions for vaccinated European citizens on Monday as the country attempts to reinvigorate its vital tourism sector.
Incoming travelers with a valid EU vaccination certificate will no longer have to present a negative test result, Greek Health Minister Thanos Plevris said in a statement on Friday.
The minister’s announcement comes amid a decline in Greece’s coronavirus cases after a spike due to the highly transmissible Omicron variant.
This changes the previous policy which required all travelers to show a negative PCR or rapid test result upon arrival. Greek Tourism Minister Vassilis Kikilias said the government is aiming to encourage tourism and incentivize travelers to plan trips earlier.
“Our country is getting ready this year to welcome visitors for the summer season, earlier than ever before, from March 1,” Kikilias tweeted, adding that Greece is conveying “a strong message of safety” to tourists.
Over the past two weeks Greece’s case numbers have declined while, on most days, deaths have remain above 100 — approximately double the average of similar-sized EU countries such as Belgium.
Approximately 70 percent of the country’s nearly 11 million people are fully vaccinated. To boost this number, the Greek government has introduced stricter measures in recent months, including monthly fines for unvaccinated people ages 60 and older which took effect in January.
Featured image: Xinhua News Agency via Getty Images
Is The Pappas Post worth $5 a month for all of the content you read? On any given month, we publish dozens of articles that educate, inform, entertain, inspire and enrich thousands who read The Pappas Post. I’m asking those who frequent the site to chip in and help keep the quality of our content high — and free. Click here and start your monthly or annual support today. If you choose to pay (a) $5/month or more or (b) $50/year or more then you will be able to browse our site completely ad-free!
Click here if you would like to subscribe to The Pappas Post Weekly News Update