Greek officials have announced the easing of restrictions that have been in place to curtail transmission of Covid-19, as thousands of tourists begin arriving every day, particularly on full flights from the United States.

A nighttime curfew that is currently in place between 12:30 am and 5:00 am will be shortened by an hour to start at 1:30 am, according to a statement by Deputy Civil Protection Minister Nikos Hardalias. He also said that he believes the curfew will be all together scrapped in July, as long as epidemiological conditions allow it.

Music will also be allowed at outdoor dining establishments. A previous order probating music was in place since, according to officials, the volume of music forced customers to speak loudly, a potential risk for transmitting the disease.

Helped by vaccinations and widespread COVID-19 rapid tests for workers, the country has relaxed some restrictions since May, allowing restaurants to serve food in outdoor areas after months of lockdown.

With cases declining for a third week in a row amid summer-like temperatures, the curfew and music rules will be lifted on June 12.

“In the coming weeks, we’ll be gradually leaving behind us some measures that have been part of our daily routine for some time now,” Hardalias told reporters.
But he cautioned that the pandemic is not over yet and that health protocols should be respected.

Greece has inoculated about 23% of its 11 million population so far. It has reported a total of 412,420 infections and 12,346 deaths since the start of the pandemic.