ATHENS: Greece today (Thursday) announced that it hopes to reopen the country to tourism in mid-May as its accelerated coronavirus vaccination programme will provide a “wall of immunity” for residents.
Despite a rise in COVID-19 cases “Greece is ready with a complete protocol for summer 2021”, said Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis said, specifying that tourists would be welcomed from May 14.
“Such tourists will have to show that they have been vaccinated against COVID-19, have antibodies against the virus or have recently tested negative. On top of that all tourists will be subject to random testing,” said Theoharis.
Country’s spokeswoman Aristotelia Peloni told media that the country’s “Operation Freedom” will be made possible thanks to an expected increase in vaccine deliveries during the second quarter, including over a million doses of the Pfizer vaccine.
“The government aims to finish vaccinating all the over-60s by May which would provide a first wall of immunity against the virus,” the spokeswoman added.
So far one million of the 11 million Greek population have received a vaccine jab, including 400,000 who have finished the vaccination course by receiving a second dose.
Greece has suffered 6,900 coronavirus deaths, more than half of which have occurred over the last three months.
