Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis on Friday unveiled a number of rules included in the health protocols for tourism that have been created to be applied in all hotels in the country and on incoming flights once the tourism season begins in Greece in the aftermath of the Covid-19 pandemic.
The protocols have been drafted by the Tourism Ministry in collaboration with the Infectious Diseases Commission of EODY, Greece’s public health organization, and will be submitted to tourism enterprises for consultation and the submission of proposals.
It is noted that the minister did not present the proposed health protocols in detail but referred to some of the rules included:
For flights
– For passengers to board a flight from abroad to Greece, they must have a valid health certificate that has been issued within the last 72 hours, stating that they are not carriers of the Covid-19 virus. Passengers without a health certificate, will not be allowed to board flights.
– There will be no empty seats on flights to, from and within Greece. The passenger capacity of all airplanes will be full in order to support airline companies.
– Only packaged snacks will be served to passengers on flights with a duration of up to four hours.
– Upon their departure from Greece, tourists will not be tested in order for them to avoid being quarantined in Greece.
For hotels
– One “quarantine hotel” will operate on every tourism destination in Greece, where tourists who are found to be Covid-19 carriers will be transported. The hotels will be leased to the ministry.
– All Greek accommodation units will be obliged to have a contract with a doctor, who will determine, either in person or remotely (telemedicine), whether a tourist should be tested for the coronavirus. All Covid-19 tests will be performed within 6 hours at the latest so that anyone who is tested to be positive can be transferred to a “quarantine hotel”.
– Special training on specific hygiene rules will be provided to the staff of every Greek hotel.
– There will be no buffets in Greek hotels (except maybe in very small units), as food will only be served.
– All sunbeds will have a distance between them and also a disposable cover for each beach visitor.
Greece’s tourism season is expected to begin in July with seasonal resorts hoped to open the same month. The country’s year-round hotels are scheduled to open on June 1.
In regards to flights, a common EU plan for air transport has yet to be decided on. However, Greece is currently discussing the possibility of creating safe travel zones between specific countries.
Source: GTP news
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