Holidays to Greece hit by new UK-style lockdown tiers forcing restaurants and bars to close in some spots
GREECE has introduced a new tiered lockdown similar to the UK’s which means restaurants and bars have been forced to close in high risk areas.
Travelling around the areas is also banned, if it is placed into a tier 4 – which could affect tourists heading to the regions.
The strictest measures are currently only in Kozani and Kastoria, two mainland regions between Athens and Thessalonki.
Tier 4 restrictions include the following rules, which are likely to impact holidays:
- All restaurants, bar and shops closed and a ban on the sale of alcohol
- A ban on travelling in an out of the region
- A curfew from 12:30am and 5am
- Mandatory masks in all indoor and outdoor spaces in public
Tier 3 restrictions, while less strict, affect many of the popular holiday destinations for Brits.
Islands including Mykonos, Santorini and Zante, as well mainland Athens, are in tier 3 which also includes the 12:30am to 5am curfew, although bars and restaurants remain open outside of these hours.
Some regions have night time curfews, affecting bars and restaurants[/caption] Masks are mandatory in all public spaces in tier 4 and tier 3 areas[/caption] Mykonos, Santorini and Zante are in tier 3[/caption]Masks must also be worn in all public spaces, both indoors and outdoors.
Greek Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis announced the new measures at the weekend, including the overnight curfews and mask restrictions.
He told local media: “We remind you that the use of face masks is obligatory in all outdoor spaces.
“Night-time curfew is now in place. People are not allowed to be outdoors between twelve-thirty midnight and five o’clock in the morning. Please protect public health; avoid crowding. We follow the instructions, we stay safe.”
If cases continue to rise in any of the tier 3 areas, they could easily be pushed into the lockdown which could scupper holiday plans.
The country is seeing a huge jump in cases in some regions[/caption] Only two regions are currently in tier 4, but others could follow depending on new cases[/caption]Greece’s health authorities announced 935 new cases on Saturday, the highest since the pandemic started.
Currently, Brits can travel to all of Greece as the islands and the mainland were removed from the quarantine list in recent weeks.
This means no quarantine restrictions on arrival or back in the UK.
However, you must fill in a Passenger Locator Form 24 hours before arrival, and show the QR code at the airport.
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You may also be asked to take a coronavirus test, which could result in a quarantine until you get the results.
Mykonos was the last island to be removed from the quarantine list last week, meaning all of the islands are open to Brits.
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