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Greece’s Indoor Restaurants, Venues Only for the Vaccinated 

Starting Friday, July 16, indoor venues such as restaurants, bars, and theaters will only be accepting vaccinated and seated-only customers until August 31, Development and Investments Minister Adonis Georgiadis said on Tuesday.

Georgiadis’ announcements came a day after Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis ordered the mandatory vaccination of healthcare providers and nursing care workers on Monday in view of a spike in Covid-19 cases and the fast spread of the Delta variant

Earlier today, Health Minister Vasilis Kikilias warned that unvaccinated health care staff will be suspended without pay when new restrictions take effect. The first dose of the vaccine against Covid for these employees will be available on August 16, he said.

Digital Governance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis; Health Minister Vasilis Kikilias and Development Minister Adonis Georgiadis

According to the new rules regarding indoor entertainment and recreational spaces which go into effect on July 16:

  • only seated customers can be served through to August 31. No form of standing entertainment is allowed
  • sports events will be carried out with spectators in vaccinated-only or outdoor areas and with an 80 percent capacity. No more than 25,000 spectators at outdoor venues and 8,000 indoors.
  • as of July 16 to August 31, all indoor entertainment and recreational venues will operate only for vaccinated customers at 85 percent capacity
  • outdoor business owners can choose if they wish to operate for vaccinated only or as a mixed space
  • open-air festivals (panegyria) are allowed as seated-only events and with social distancing and capacity rules 
  • employers in the private or public sectors have the right to enquire whether an employee is vaccinated
  • vaccinated individuals in the armed forces will be entitled to five days leave.
Covid Free GR app.

Covid Free GR app.

Moreover, Georgiadis said that admission to indoor spaces is allowed with proof of vaccination. He added that only the underaged (under 18 years old) will be allowed in indoor spaces with a negative self-test result.

At the same time, Digital Governance Minister Kyriakos Pierrakakis said that starting today, restaurant and F&B business owners will be able to download an application that will check whether health/vaccination status information provided by customers is valid. The Covid Free GR app will be free and available on app stores for phones and tablets.

He repeated that violations could be subject to fines ranging from 2,000 euros to 10,000 euros and loss of operating license.

In the meantime, the government is meeting with leaders of the Greek Orthodox Church in hopes of securing vaccination campaign support from the clergy.

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About the Author
Chicago-born and raised, Maria Paravantes has over two decades of journalistic experience covering tourism and travel, gastronomy, arts, music and culture, economy and finance, politics, health and social issues for international press and media. She has worked for Reuters, The Telegraph, Huffington Post, Billboard Magazine, Time Out Athens, the Athens News, Odyssey Magazine and SETimes.com, among others. She has also served as Special Advisor to Greece’s minister of Foreign Affairs, and to the mayor of Athens on international press and media issues. Maria is currently a reporter, content and features writer for GTP Headlines.
  1. Judith Tourlouki Reply

    Then please do. If your attitude is to not care about the person next to you in this epidemic then it would be better for you to stay at home. If we all do what we can even in the smallest way we protect each other then lives will be saved.

  2. Maria Reply

    well the answer is that this is not about health but all about control, power and manipulation. The pharmaceutical industry does not make money by healthy people with a working immununestystem. Something we all have but seem to forgotten

  3. Paul Hill Reply

    We go 4 times a year but because we don’t want to enter into an experimental vaccine trial we are not allowed in to restaurants. Well I suppose they don’t want our money and that’s fine. More for us to squander on shit . Just remember though, the vaccinated can still get and spread it and the other thing to remember is the vaccine has no effect whatsoever on a hell of a lot of people. So good luck with that. .

  4. Paul Phillips Reply

    If you’re eating outside you’re fine,so please come and support this struggling country,none of this is the fault of the restaurant owners who really are struggling to survive

  5. Paul Phillips Reply

    Please bear in mind that the majority of restaurants in Greece have outdoor space which means you’re ok if you’re eating outside

  6. Eva K. Nergård Reply

    Very good, Greece! Looking forward to visiting!

  7. John Travers Reply

    All recent studies show that specific anti-SARS-CoV-2 immunity remains effective for years – and possibly for a lifetime. Other studies show that natural immunity from previous infection is more protective than vaccinated immunity. (How can a vaccine be more effective at immunization than the disease it is trying to mimic?).

    The question is: Why are public health officials in Greece, the US and other countries discriminating against people with natural immunity? The goal should be community-wide immunity through both vaccines and previous infection.

  8. Mr Clive R Biddle Reply

    its pointless for us to holiday in greece if people cant enjoy their holidays. cant do this cant do that, it wont be much of a holiday. might aswell stay at home.

  9. Pamela+Wigham Reply

    Can anyone answer if the UK Covid Vaccine certificate will be accepted by restaurants and venues.

    • Bryn+Archer Reply

      certainly the uk cvc will be accepted here in Crete according to the taverna owners here in the Heraklion Prefecture.

      • BoMuz Reply

        That is not the official position. Officially at the moment the NHS cvc is not recognised under this scheme. Yes it is odd when Brits are the most vaccinated in Europe and our cvc is acceptable to get us there in the first place. Let’s hope the Greek authorities correct this mistake and recognise our, and other third country cvc soon.

    • Paul Phillips Reply

      Yes, we’re here now

  10. Storm Reply

    The medical tyranny and segregation continues… And the people who once fought for freedom, in the country where modern medicine was born, are silently accepting it….

    #αρκετά

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