Greece Considers Closing Its Borders to Tourists Again

Greece is considering re-closing its borders to international tourists once again as it tries to battle against the coronavirus crisis.

SINCE the country opened its doors to tourists on June 15, almost a month ago now, there has been a spike in coronavirus cases across the country. More specifically on Friday, they recorded a total of 60 new cases, which is the highest number of new infections since April 21.

Health authorities contend that more than 100 of the new cases which were identified in the last 10 days have been a result of imported cases from tourists arriving in Greece. “We knew from the beginning that when we gradually reopened the doors of our country to the world, we would be receiving imported cases,” assured Stelios Petssas.

The Greek executive is now considering introducing stricter measures such as increased border controls, restaurant and bar inspections and even restrictions towards countries with higher incidence rates of the coronavirus. After July 15, residents in the United Kingdom will be allowed to enter the country, although Greece is worried about the toll this may take on their own epidemic. They may be subjected to similar restrictions as residents in Bulgaria who must bring a negative Covid test within 72 hours of flying.