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Greece Presents Data on Positive Covid-19 Cases from Inbound Travel

Greek Deputy Minister for Civil Protection and Crisis Management, Nikos Hardalias.

Greek Deputy Minister for Civil Protection and Crisis Management, Nikos Hardalias.

Greece’s Civil Protection and Crisis Management Deputy Minister Nikos Hardalias confirmed on Tuesday that there were no plans for a total lockdown after presenting Covid-19 figures for Greece.

Speaking during the reinstated weekly televised coronavirus briefing, Hardalias said Greek authorities had conducted 127,900 Covid-19 tests since July 1, when Greece opened its borders to tourists, recording 295 confirmed cases in travelers.

Broken down: 78 cases were found in visitors from Serbia, 63 – Bulgaria, 61 – Romania, 23 – Albania, and 26 from the US.

According to Hardalias, 76.27 percent or 225 of the 295 positive Covid-19 test results were found in travelers from Balkan countries.

From July 1 to July 19, a total of 918,032 people entered Greece, 620,652 of whom by air, 48,720 by sea, and 248,660 by road.

Of the total 127,900 tests, 98,284 were carried out at the country’s airports producing 105 positive results; 6,119 at the ports with four positive results; and 23,497 at border check points producing 186 positive results.

Meanwhile, over the July 15-19 period, 23,559 UK tourists came to Greece and a total of 6,692 tests were conducted. Out of that number, results for 5,105 tests came back negative (results for the rest are pending).

Greek National Public Health Organization’s (EODY) crew conducting COVID-19 tests to passengers of international flights on the island of Kos. Photo Source: @EODY

Hardalias went on to add that local lockdowns would be considered should the need arise and that it would be prudent to extend the ban on Greece’s popular panegyria outdoor festivals due to danger of spreading the virus in crowded spaces.

The deputy minister will be updating on Covid-19 developments every Tuesday. The briefing was reinstated for the first time after May 26.

Greece has reported 4,007 confirmed Covid-19 cases since February 25, when the Covid-19 pandemic broke out, through to July 19 with 195 fatalities, Hardalias said, stressing yet again the importance of individual responsibility and personal hygiene.

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  1. P shannon Reply

    I live in the uk, don’t know anyone who has had the virus, I would not feel safe in Greece, anyway the U.K. is stunning and green, Greece needs the U.K. more than the U.K. needs Greece, not sure anyone from the U.K. is that bothered about going to Greece, saying at home and going a a small fishing village in North Devon , good beer and fish and chips , can’t wait.

    • Jum Reply

      I felt far more safe in Crete than any location in the UK. Well done Greece for providing such a lovely holiday.

    • Jim Reply

      I felt far more safe in Crete than any location in the UK. Well done Greece for providing such a lovely holiday.

  2. Toni Reply

    As a U.K. national I can confirm that the ‘plandemic’ is not as severe as they report it to be here. Where I live in particular Covid is almost a myth. A story told but never seen or heard of. I fortunately don’t know a single person who has been affected by Covid. Considering how badly we are reported to be doing you would think that it wouldn’t be beyond the realms of probability to know at least 1 person affected by it but there is nothing other than what is reported on the news. We have a population of 68 million people and yesterday 445 tested positive. That’s less than 0.001% of the population. Don’t even get me started on how we record deaths. At present if someone tests positive for Covid that information is listed in the database. Public health england then run regular searches to see how many of those testing positive have since died. It does not look at the cause of death. People could test positive, recover and later die in a car accident but they get recorded and counted in our Covid death statistics. Many hospitals also list deaths as suspected or associated with Covid without a positive test result. No test is performed post mortem and are later cremated with no way to later confirm the true cause of death. Then our health secretary has admitted that 10,000 elderly die in care homes every month as standard before covid existed with over 80% of all deaths being those aged 80+. Any death is sad and I feel for any family impacted but In reality U.K. death figures are grossly inflated and inaccurate, it has severely affected mental health, the economy, unemployment, the future of small businesses and has resulted in a warped opinion of the U.K. from onlooking countries worldwide. I am pleased to see reports that almost all U.K. nationals tested on arrival gave a negative result (pending the results of those whose results are not back yet) as i do believe this is a true reflection on the status of COVID-19 in the U.K. right now and that is that more people don’t have it than do. I plan to travel to Thessaloniki in 3 weeks time. My fiancé is Greek and hasn’t seen his family for 1 year since we visited last August. It’s important for him to see his family, we are happy to comply with all of Greece’s regulations regarding Covid and social distancing and look forward to 2 weeks in our favourite place.

  3. Yiannis Reply

    I am not going to get involved in the above argument, but I do worry about what appears to be a disconnect between the rhetoric of the government and the attitudes of some (not all) people.

    Where I live in Crete, the health protocols stipulated by the government are not being strictly followed. Please let me be clear, I am not saying the whole population is ignoring the rules and I am only referring to my local area and what I see/hear with my own eyes/ears.

    What I see are some supermarket workers wearing no masks, and inside tourists doing the same; very little if any social distancing in bars/restaurants and very little table sanitizing; elsewhere masks worn only around the neck (!); constant hugging and hand-shaking; no covering the mouth when coughing & sneezing; poor distancing between sun beds on the beach and so on.

    Some locals tell me that Greece/Crete is immune to the virus due to the island’s clean air; that its original lock-down success will stand it in good stead. Others have said the statistics and science quoted by the government are to bully the population and make them pay more taxes. “It is just a common cold” is also a very popular position.

    My worry is that with an influx of tourists and a patchy adherence locally to the correct protocols, coupled with frankly misguided notions about the virus and how it works, my area at least will have a wave.

    Not a second wave, but a first. Let’s hope I am wrong.

  4. Andreas Romanos Reply

    I do not think that the US has any cause for complaint if they are barred from travelling anywhere. There continues to be a lack of any serious strategy in the US to deal with Covid-19 and the situation remains out of control. As a hotelier who relies on US visitors for much of our business, for now I prefer to see US visitors barred (and UK ones, incidentally…).

  5. Stephen Cronin Reply

    Well, we arrive tomorrow!

  6. Richard Rodgers Reply

    Are we to read that the UK positive tests are very high with ‘results pending’? Surprised that UK citizens are allowed into Greece. I also thought that US flights were halted to Greece.

    • Steve Powell Reply

      Results pending means the test results are not yet ready. There were no positive results in the first 3 days of testing people flying in from the UK.

  7. Gerhard Blendstrup Reply

    Greek Nationals or longterm residents living in the US can still enter Greece. I still hope that a recent negative Covid test would allow Greece to open its borders to US visitors. In addition, I would see no problem if I would be tested again at the airport to make absolutely sure and to keep Greece safe.

  8. CONSTANTINE Reply

    The official numbers he quoted from US visitors (which is odd because US is not even allowed in the country – and NO mention of ANY other imported cases?) was actually 6. Not 26.

    Do you want to mention how many Swedes or English or any other nationals were tested positive? No, you don’t.

    It looks like they are gearing up for another denial of US nationals and the “announcement” the other day was just the Greek government playing games after all US airlines cancelled summer routes to Greece.

    • Garamont Reply

      Agree with you. These numbers are incomplete and a bit odd. Not reassuring when you’re considering coming to Greece.

    • Michael Stead Reply

      I live in Rhodes. We’ve had 3 cases so far, including 1 from the US (assume the flight was via a European country). Don’t blame the Greek government for your inability to travel here, the blame lies with your government and the way they’ve handled CV19. Regarding the Swedes and English, many here think they should also be blocked from entry, but on some South Aegean islands they represent a major proportion of their tourists, so they’ve had to bite the bullet and allow them entry. If numbers rise flights from Sweden and the UK will be stopped.

      • CONSTANTINE Reply

        The most Anti American bile we have heard through this whole ordeal is from pensioned ex pats who moved to Greece to sit, claiming their Euro Florida as their own; when it is the fatherland of our parents.

        How ignorant does one have to be to realize that a whole nation is not infected? There are 330 million people here, of which about 1 percent have been infected.

        Many of us, whether he dislike the president or not, have taken this very seriously and are already tested frequently.

        A Lack of strategy is holding a global press event on Santorini and and telling a major American news pundit on CNN to please come to Greece, we are open; then a few weeks later cowing to Merkel’s political travel ban.

        I’d encourage to enjoy your retirement and leave any prejudiced commentary out of the debate on how to successfully restart. The US market is fine and will be; banning them is cutting off your nose to spite your face. And the Greek government never wanted to, they followed EU directives as a weaker member state with almost zero influence.

        The only ones calling for barring entry are sitting on their welfare already. Swedes make up a lot of tourist in the south Aegean? True.

        But do you have any idea the impact of American tourists on the whole continent’s economy?

        https://www.forbes.com/sites/tamarathiessen/2020/07/04/us-travel-ban-costing-europe-billions/#2ed488791b0b

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