Greece: Covid infected tourists no longer required to quarantine

Source: Schengen Visa Info

A new government decision issued by the Greek authorities earlier this week has established that tourists who get infected with the COVID-19 disease while being in Greece will not be required to go into quarantine.

According to a decision on health protocol issued by the ministers of tourism, health, and economy for the operation of tourism businesses during the COVID-19 for 2022, there will be no more quarantine rooms at hotels.

This means that travellers who get infected with the virus will no longer be required to meet self-isolation rules while in Greece, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.

In addition, the current rule that requires everyone infected with the virus to remain in quarantine for a period of five days does not apply to travellers, GTP explains.

The same notes that in line with the new protocols, travellers in Greece will be able to choose if they want to remain in self-isolation for the number of days that they have booked, meaning that those who do not want to will not be obliged.

Apart from the above-mentioned, it has been explained that tourists infected with COVID-19 will also be able to access ferries, planes, and other forms of transport. However, they must wear an FFP2 or a KN95 face mask the entire time.

Greece lifted all of its COVID-related entry restrictions earlier in May. Since then, all travellers, regardless of their country of origin, have been permitted restriction-free entry.

However, despite no longer requiring a vaccination, recovery, or test certificate from travellers, the authorities may soon advise everyone to wear a face mask when attending different indoor public settings as the COVID infection cases have been increasing in the last couple of weeks.

The data from the World Health Organization shows that Greece reported 113,373 new infection cases and 150 deaths in the last seven days. Thus, everyone is recommended to follow basic health measures.

Previously, SchengenVisaInfo.com reported that Greece’s tourism growth is well over the Eurozone average. The Greek Minister of Tourism, Vasilis Kikilias, said that the country’s tourism sector is expected to boost the GDP growth this year.

The Minister also stressed that the number of arrivals keeps on increasing in several of its destinations. He emphasised that the country has been seeing a positive trend and emphasised that the number of holidaymakers deciding to visit Greece during the summer season keeps on increasing each day.

The increase in tourists visiting Greece has also been reported by a World Travel Market survey. The survey revealed that six of the top ten European destinations that registered the highest increase compared to 2019 are in Greece.