Greece plans to reopen for travel and tourism by June

Greece is starting to gradually lift measures surrounding its countrywide lockdown, which began on March 24, when the government banned all unnecessary transport and movement of people around the country.

The Greek government has unveiled a two-month initiative to reopen the country in several stages, a post published on Visit Greece, the official website of Greek tourism, explains.

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The lifting began on Monday, May 4, with the reopening of some shops and services, including bookstores, electronic stores, and hair salons. Other establishments will be permitted to open starting May 11, with the exception of shopping malls and department stores, and will continue to open from May 18 and then again on June 1.

As well, beginning May 18, travel restrictions within Greece will be lifted, according to a post from the US Embassy & Consulate in Greece, permitting the movement “from one prefecture to another,” except for the islands.

“From June 1 and for the period of a month, stages 4 to 7 will be implemented,” Visit Greece explains. “These stages will start lifting one by one the lockdown restrictions and reopen the market in the following order: shopping malls, outdoor restaurants, cafes, summer cinemas, year-round hotels, amusement parks, theme parks, outdoor playgrounds, indoor restaurants, indoor cafes, seasonal hotels and resorts, and indoor sports facilities.”

The government is also anticipated to announce further information regarding the reopening of restaurants, leisure facilities, hotels, swimming pools, and beaches in the coming days.

The US Embassy & Consulate in Greece explains further that the reopening of entertainment and sports venues, such as movie theatres, gyms, and entertainment centres, will start in early June, but only at 60% capacity and with appropriate social distancing measures in place. Interior areas of restaurants and coffee shops will also begin opening in early June.

By mid-June, seasonal tourist accommodations, as well as year-round hotels in Greece, will be permitted to reopen, as will the “restoration of regular sea ferry traffic to the islands.”

On March 16, the government of Greece announced that it is mandatory for all international arrivals to self-quarantine for 14 days and that all international passengers take a coronavirus test upon entering the country.

For a full list of the sequential order of Greece’s easing of coronavirus-prevention measures, authorities have created a document entitled, “A bridge of safety toward a new daily reality.”

As of May 6, Greece has 2,663 known confirmed cases of coronavirus in the country, according to Johns Hopkins University.