Irish holidaymakers wishing to head to the sunny coasts of Greece and its surrounding islands will welcome the government’s latest announcement with glee.
Greek officials have given the go-ahead to lift all Covid-19-related entry rules from May 2, 2022.
This means that Irish tourists landing in Athens or further afield will no longer need to show proof of vaccination when entering by land, sea, or air.
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Meanwhile, all testing requirements will also be scrapped irrespective of vaccination status.
Greek officials are expecting huge numbers of visitors throughout the summer season following the widespread easing of travel restrictions around Europe and beyond.
After a terrible year for the economy amid ongoing travel restrictions and local lockdowns, revenues are expected to reach up to 80% of 2019 levels in Greece.
The early May date will also see the end of mandatory mask-wearing rules, and so people will no longer be required to wear them in indoor public places.
Public mask-wearing is still mandatory throughout the country at this point, and unless all passengers are members of the same family, a maximum of three people are permitted to travel in a taxi.
Although the unvaccinated are able to enter Greece by a pre-departure test, on arrival, they are currently unable to visit nightclubs, theaters, cinemas, and stadiums, or dine in indoor restaurants and museums.
Speaking about the move to widely open Greece for the summer season, the minister for health, Thanos Plevris, said that the current measures are not being dropped indefinitely but will potentially be reintroduced from September.
“[We’re] not ignoring the pandemic, but we are entering a new regularity by lifting the restrictions, although we will be ready for the autumn and another vaccination rollout.”
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