Most Covid-19 Cases in Greece Not from Inbound Tourism

Most of Greece’s coronavirus (Covid-19) cases are not from inbound tourism but have resulted from people not complying with health and safety regulations, Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis said on Tuesday.

Speaking during a meeting of Greece’s Regional Tourism Council, the minister underlined the need for adequate and effective information on confirmed coronavirus cases, especially regarding their origin.

Minister Theoharis stressed that it is absolutely necessary for everyone, without exception, to continue observing the country’s important health measures.

He also pointed out that the daily number of Covid-19 tests performed in Greece have increased. “Today, 16,000 tests are carried out, of which 8,000 are at (Greece’s) border stations,” he said.

Moreover, the minister referred to Greece’s new policy in opening borders to countries, which initially starts with a cap of 500 travelers per week and may continue with a gradual increase.

“In any case, the flow of travelers is regularly and systematically monitored by the relevant services,” he said.

Greece on Tuesday saw 207 new coronavirus cases (20 cases were imported from travelers abroad), raising the total number to 10,524. The death toll in the country has reached 271.

July 1-August 31: 853 cases from travelers

According to Greek Civil Protection Deputy Minister Nikos Hardalias, between 1 July and 30 August, 406,857 targeted checks were carried out at the country’s entry points out of a total of 3,239,194 incoming visitors with confirmed cases reaching 853.

“These tests are targeted and performed on travelers who have a bigger chance of being carriers of the virus, as the EVA program indicates to us each time,” Hardalias said during Tuesday’s media briefing.

The EVA program is Greece’s AI screening and testing program created to vet the COVID-19 risk of incoming tourists through all of the country’s entry points.