International flights from Italy, Spain and the Netherlands to Athens International Airport will be allowed from June 15 as part of Greece’s plan to reopen its borders, Tourism Minister Haris Theoharis said on Friday.

The announcement was part of a broader scheme for the next phase of Greece’s reopening. This foresees the resumption of all international flights to Thessaloniki airport from June 15 except those from Italy, Spain, the Netherlands, Britain, Turkey, Albania and North Macedonia. 

Flights from Albania and North Macedonia to Athens International Airport will only be permitted for “essential travel.”

Theoharis said that foreign ferries are forbidden from docking at Greek ports, while pleasure boats are permitted to dock but with only crew aboard.

As regards land arrivals, they will be permitted from Bulgaria as of June 15 but remain banned for Turkey, Albania and North Macedonia (with the exception of essential trips). Those restrictions are scheduled to be lifted on July 1 for Albania and North Macedonia while the situation with Turkey will be reviewed on June 30.

From July 1, international arrivals will be allowed to all Greek airports and foreign ferries will be permitted to dock at Greek ports.

Passengers arriving at Athens and Thessaloniki airports between June 15 and 30 from areas that are deemed safe (i.e. from airports that are not on the EASA’s  “black list” of airports located in areas of high risk of transmission of COVID-19), will be subject to random tests and will be quarantined in a hotel for a day pending the results, and for a total of 14 days if the results are positive.

For flights from Italy, Spain and the Netherlands until June 30, tests will be conducted on all passengers. Passengers will be quarantined in hotels for one day until the test results are returned. In the event that they test positive for Covid-19 they will be quarantined for 14 days.

Passengers arriving from July 1 from all destinations will be subject to random tests and will face a 14-day quarantine if the results are positive. All passengers will be obliged to fill in an electronic form with their contact details in Greece.

This article was first published by ekathimerini.com