Greece opened its borders for tourists after 14 months, on April 19th.
But there has been a rush of interest in trips to Greece since the pandemic is not over.
Hence, the real question is: Should you go now?
Is Greece ready to welcome visitors?
According to the Greek National Public Health Organization Greece is in the midst of the second wave of coronavirus cases.
There are about 2,779 daily cases on average. Over 320,000 cases have been reported and 9,700 people have died as of April 21.
Since the country’s vaccination program is speeding up, there is a ray of hope. Rates of transmission, intubation and death rate appear to reduce slightly.
Currently, there is a nationwide lockdown until May 3. People are also told to avoid going outside their houses. Restaurants and Cafés will also reopen on the same date.
Conveniently, luxury home rental service onefinestay just launched a collection of villas in Mykonos and Santorini.
The Cross-region travel ban is also set to lift on May 15. But in case of emergency, travelling is allowed.
“While American travelers are welcome now, we recommend booking for June or July,” says Marci-Beth Maple, marketing manager at Zicasso, a travel agency that specializes in Greece.
Maple adds that “while Greece is under some restrictions at the moment, we expect the country to have settled into the new standards for travel with safety protocols implemented across hotel properties, restaurants, and museums, and most restrictions lifted within the first few weeks of May.”
Requirements for travelling to Greece
Travelers from certain countries are allowed to enter Greece without having to quarantine, but there are conditions.
These countries include the European Union, UAE, SERBIA, Israel, the UK, the US, Singapore, Rwanda, Thailand, New Zealand, Australia and South Korea.
Those coming from the above-mentioned countries should have a full dose of the COVID-19 vaccine at least 14 days before their arrival. Only then they are exempted from getting quarantined.
While the people who are not vaccinated yet are supposed to provide a negative COVID-19 PCR test. That too within 72 hours of arrival in Greece.
Moreover, all the passengers must fill out a Passenger Locator Form prior the arrival.
