A lone tourist was among the first to enter the archaeological site of Acropolis on Monday, as authorities opened up more than 200 archaeological sites that remained shut for almost two months due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Greece’s President Katerina Sakellaropoulou accompanied by Culture Minister Lina Mendoni climbed up the hill a couple of hours later. Her presence sent a powerful message that the country’s tourism sector is gradually returning to normalcy.
Final preparations for the re-opening were completed early on Monday. As required, the visitors were keeping social distance.
Greece reopened organized public beaches under strict social distancing measures during a heat wave.
City dwellers flocked to the beaches while temperatures reached 98 degrees, hoping for a refreshing swim less than a week after full lockdown measures were lifted.
Easing beach restrictions is seen as key to salvaging the tourism industry over the summer in a country expected to have the worst recession in the European Union as a result of the COVID-19 pandemic.
On Saturday, swimming and sun loungers were permitted but no group sports or food operations. The government issued strict beach guidelines, with businesses facing fines of up 20,000 euros ($21,650) and a three-month closure for violations.
The number of beachgoers cannot exceed 40 people per 1,000 sq. meters (10,764 sq. feet) and two beach umbrellas must be 1.5 meters (5 feet) apart. The distance between groups must be 4 meters (13 feet).
The government is considering opening bars and restaurants on May 25.
Greece ‘s Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced on Tuesday afternoon the roadmap according to which the lockdown will be gradually lifted. Starting on May 4 government plans extend over a period of 45 days, that is until beginning of July.
“We were confronted with an invisible and sneaky enemy, we took unprecedented measures, the economy paralyzed, we stayed away from those we love and from the churches,” Mitsotakis said.
Thanking the frontline health workers who fought against the COVID-19 and the citizens who complied with the restrictions, he said that today, the public hospitals are enhanced with more personnel.
He underlined that the number of COVID-19 patients in the hospitals and the Intensive Care Units is constantly decreasing.
Surveillance of the impact of the lockdown lifting will be on 24-hour basis, Mitsotakis stressed.
The roadmap is based on the assumption that everything will go well, the citizens will continue to comply with keeping safety distance and hygiene measures, they will avoid crowding and there will be no resurgence of the coronavirus.
Authorities have warned that restrictions will be reimposed locally or on broader regions should the number of infections will rise again.
Restriction measures were first imposed on March 6 with the closure of the schools, businesses were shut down in groups, while citizens were allowed to leave their homes only with “movement permits” since March 23.
Restrictions including movement permits remain in force until May 4.
The gradual lifting of the lockdown has 7 stages and is initially published for May 4, 11 and 18. The plan for June will be announced on May 18 after thorough evaluation of the impact on the health of the general population.
Travel conditions within Greece change as the ban to move from prefecture to prefecture is lifted on Monday, May 18, 2020. Travels within the mainland, as well as the islands of Crete and Evia are permitted with special health protocols. Travel to the remaining islands are most probably to be allowed as of May 25.
The Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport has issued health protocols for traveling by ships and ferry, airplane, train and intercity buses (KTEL) to secure the safety of passengers and staff.
General
Trains, intercity bus connections (KETL), tourist buses and private buses are allowed to travel with capacity of 50% and thus until May 31, when the measures will be reviewed based on epidemiological data.
The use of mask is mandatory for all passengers of the above mentioned transport means as well as for airplanes.
Recommended is the use of electronic applications and transactions for the issue and validation of tickets.
Passengers should a distance of 1.5 meters in the waiting areas and when boarding or leave the transport means in order to avoid crowding.
Personnel is supplied with protective equipment such a gloves, masks and antiseptics.
Passengers areas are disinfected by the service providers.
Air travel
Boarding is done in small groups to avoid overcrowding.
Where there are boarding bridges, boarding is done only from the front door.
Where possible, passengers are transported from the waiting room to the aircraft on foot.
Where a bus is used, the limit of 50% of its capacity is observed.
Water, antiseptic and snack packages are placed at the entrance of the aircraft or at the boarding gate so that passengers can pick them up without the intervention of a third party.
Immediately upon arrival at the airport, the aircraft must be cleaned in a cabin with an enhanced antiseptic program, before being delivered to continue its flights.
Travel by ship/ferry
Sea traffic means travel with 50% capacity and 55% if they have cabins.
Before getting on board: Paasengers have to fill up a special health status questionnaire, they will undergo temperature measurement.
Maintenance of a distance of 1.5 meters during boarding, disembarkation and in all areas of the ship.
One person per cabin, unless it is a family (first degree relatives), so it can be up to 4 people, or disabled with their companion.
Mandatory use of mask (made of fabric is recommended) by passengers and crew members.
The special layout of the passengers in air seats (one seat occupied and one seat empty, adjacent, front and rear).
Temperature measurement and submission of a special health declaration, before departure, for the passengers of international ships on the Greek-Italian lines.
For trains and KTEL buses follow the staff instructions.
Greece lifts more restrictions on June 15, 2020, on the same day it opened its borders to foreign tourists from some 30 countries. Among the business back to operation are seasonal accommodations, museums and brothels with the latter having to follow a 10-point guide tailored by the National Health Organization.
Businesses going back to operation after three months of lockdown have to follow health protocols to contain the spread of the coronavirus.
Starting on Monday, June 15, allowed to operate again are:
seasonal hotels and rooms to let
museums
gyms
amusement parks
brothels
physical wellness services
baths, thermal springs and saunas
Worth noting that as brothels open today as well, authorities have issued a series of health protection measures that include the avoidance of shaking hands and practically allow only specific positions.
The use of fabric mask is mandatory and according to the guide issued by health experts “wearing a mask could be integrated as a game during the duration of sexual act.”
The health experts prescribe that the offered services should not exceed “15 minutes per customer.”
“Registration of customers’ name and phone number is required,” the Greek National Health Organization notes, among others.
Link to the recommendations for the brothel business here (included for general amusement):
https://www.anatropinews.gr/2020/06/14/oi-10-quot-epikes-quot-odigies-tin/
Greece announced on Wednesday the lifting of further lockdown restrictions to a number of facilities that have been shut down since March due to the coronavirus pandemic.
The lifting of restrictions refers to the period June 6-July 1, 2020, and is the sixth and seventh stage of ending the lockdown.
According to Deputy Development Minister, Nikos Papathanasis, the road map for the re-opening of facilities and businesses is:
June 6: indoor spaces of restaurants, hotel restaurants, the sale of drinks & foods at outdoors events, canteens but not canteens on rolls.
Beach bars are allowed again sell alcohol, prepare food and play music.
June 8: bars, internet cafes, night clubs, entertainment facilities with live music, shops with electronic games, gambling (coins)
June 15: seasonal hotels and tourist accommodations, fitness facilities (gyms and pilates), museums, rehabilitation centers for disable people, therapeutic baths, spa, hamams, saunas, , recreation and thematic parks, remaining facilities for entertainment and recreation, prostitution facilities.
June 29: summer camps for children
July 1: concerts, conferences, fairs
Health safety protocols are to be observed.
School canteens, indoor cinemas, seniors’ day centers(KAPI), discos (without offer of drink/food), casinos and cards playing clubs will not re-open yet.
Greece takes another major step towards normalcy as hotels, summer cinemas, swimming pools, schools reopen on Monday.
Starting June 1, hotels operating 12 months out of the year (seasonal hotels will start working on June 15), campsites and campgrounds (with the exception of children’s camps), summer cinemas, and banquet catering organizations, buffets and canteens in sports facilities, swimming pools for individual visits (sports teams were previously allowed), golf courses or mini-golf have all been allowed to open.
Library and archival activities, weddings and a number of other recreational activities, the work of marriage agencies, tattoo parlors, piercing and massage salons, cultural associations and unions without the right to hold mass events are also opening up.
Sunday markets and fairs will start working again. All of these organizations are required to comply with the rules of social distance to limit the spread of the coronavirus.
After an 83-day break caused by measures to combat coronavirus, kindergartens adapted to new working conditions will be re-opened.
Ferry services got back into full swing on Monday morning, sailing to all Greek island and mainland ports as part of the fourth phase of the government’s plan to gradually bring the country out of a nationwide lockdown imposed in March to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Monday’s reopening of ferry services to all passengers came after the government lifted a ban on sailings to and from Crete last week, as a dress rehearsal of the health measures that apply on all ships, including strict physical distancing, a health questionnaire and temperatures readings.
The lifting of the ban, however, does not include ferries sailing between Greece and Italy, which are expected to resume on June 1 if coronavirus infections and deaths in Italy continue to drop over the coming days.
“We are waiting for new instructions to on when the Patra-Italy service will resume again,” the CEO of the western port, Panagiotis Tsonis, told the Patrasevents website last week, explaining that the port authority had received orders to ban passenger services between Patra and the Italian ports of Ancona and Bari until May 31.
