Covid-19: Greece reopens to
tourists three weeks earlier than planned
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| A waiter wearing a mask serves customers in a coffee shop as restaurants reopen in Greece |
Low coronavirus numbers have prompted Greece to reopen to
tourists three weeks earlier than expected.
By Vatican News
Monday saw the reopening of ferry services to Greek islands,
three weeks earlier than planned.
Since a lockdown was imposed in late March to help curb the
spread of the coronavirus, travel to the islands has been highly limited, with
access being granted only to permanent residents and suppliers of goods.
However, the country’s low infection rate prompted the
government to reopen the islands, along with bars and restaurants, on 25 May
instead of 15 June, in an attempt to salvage Greece’s tourism industry.
Tourism is a vital part of the Greek economy. According to
government data, over 34 million visitors travelled to Greece last year,
spending 18.2 billion euros.
Greece has had a much lower infection rate compared to other
Mediterranean countries. It has seen nearly 2,900 infections and 171 deaths
from the virus. Meanwhile, almost 33,000 deaths have been recorded in
Italy, nearly 29,000 in Spain and 4,340 in Turkey, according to data
collected by Johns Hopkins University.
State-run health services to combat the coronavirus are
being extended to the islands, with intensive care units being placed on five
islands: Lesbos, Samos, Rhodes, Zakynthos and Corfu, in addition to existing
ICU facilities on the island of Crete.
Social distancing regulations and passenger limits to ward
off new infections have been imposed on ferries and at restaurants.
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