Shropshire Star

Greece lifts quarantine requirement for countries including Britain

The country remains under partial lockdown after widespread restrictions were imposed in early November.

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People wearing face masks walk in front of the Gate of the Ancient Roman Agora in the Plaka district of Athens

Greece has lifted quarantine restrictions for travellers from most European countries, as well as Israel and the United States, as it prepares to reopen tourism services next month despite an ongoing emergency in pandemic-related hospital care.

Air travellers from those countries will no longer be subject to a seven-day quarantine requirement if they hold a Covid-19 vaccination certificate or negative PCR test issued within the previous 72 hours, the Greek Civil Aviation Authority said.

The countries made exempt are EU member states, the US, Britain, the United Arab Emirates, Serbia, Israel, and non-EU members Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway and Switzerland, who are part of a European travel pact.

A woman wearing a protective face mask walks in central Athens
A woman wearing a face mask walks in central Athens (Petros Giannakouris/AP)

Government spokeswoman Aristotelia Peloni described the new travel rules as a “pilot measure” as Greece reopens more of its economy, noting that tourists are also subject to domestic travel restrictions.

Greece remains under partial lockdown after widespread restrictions were imposed in early November, but has struggled to contain an urban spike in infections that have kept intensive care facilities close to capacity.

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