by Stavros Papantoniou

Tourists will be able to enter Greece only if they have undergone a test for Covid-19 and tested negative, according to a proposal the government is reportedly examining under the approach of “we are a safe country and we only accept people who are definitely not sick.”

With Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis aiming for the tourist season to open formally on July 1, senior government officials are looking to ensure that all measures are in place to ensure there is no coronavirus relapse.

More specifically, the plan stipulates that the temperature of tourists will be taken upon their arrival and they must carry a certificate confirming they are healthy.

In the event that during the holidays they show symptoms or fall ill, the plan is to move them to quarantine structures and hotels contracted with the health system to exclusively host coronavirus patients. 

Greece expects, as Mitsotakis has stated, a unified European stance on the issue of tourism. If this is not possible, then there is a plan for bilateral cooperation with various countries such as Israel, Germany, Russia, as well as nations in the Balkans which have the advantage that their citizens can come to Greece by road.

The European Commission’s plan, which will provide guidelines on how hotels, aircraft transport as well as trains and ships will operate, is expected to be made public on Wednesday.

The government’s roadmap for tourism is expected to be unveiled in the first fortnight of June.

This article was previously published at ekathimerinini.com.