Coronavirus Latest Updates: Greece is opening for tourism by 1st July

Started by dimitris, June 02, 2020, 01:30:39 PM

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dimitris

Hello from sunny but windy again today Arillas. My weather stations says 21°C there is two people right now on Arillas beach....All news papers and news chanels are talking about what, how and if tourism will be possible in places like Greece, Corfu , Arillas etc.
The Greek government announced on Friday that it will allow flights from 29 countries to Athens and Thessaloniki starting on 15 June. The UK , Holand, Italy , Spain, Belgium is not in the list.
The Greek government  announced on 20 May that the tourist season will start on 15 June when seasonal hotels will open. As from 1 July, direct foreign flights to all tourist destinations will start gradually. In the second phase, the country will open up for visitors from all countries besides those that still show negative epidemiological characteristics.
I'm not going to go through so much of  that as you can see it your self just by googling it .
at the same time I see ryanair , easyjet, and other flight companies announcing flights from the UK to corfu from the first July... Can someone please explain this to me?

OUr schools are now open with limited number of kids, Oue older son Spiros goes to school by bus. Ican see the bus driver wearing a mask.
I did watch yesterday though, the Greek prime-minister visiting a local school in Athens.
I did not see any social distancing in the background with the citizens or the children. It did look to me as a normal visit as we used to do  before the pandemic times.
When I wake up in the morning and walk out of our house I do not think of any virus the only thing that is not normal it the unusual silence of the village as normally at this time of the year the place is full of visitors.

In Arillas beach  Kostas on the beach is now open, The beach point is open too and the Akrotiri Cafe up on the hill, Others are getting ready too.
I decided to Close my taverna from today for a few days  As now my employees are getting some extra money from the government and there are more places opening on the beach-front as well as the Akrotiri. I hope it will not be a problem.  I will take this chance to spend some time on the beach with my family and as soon as the first tourists arrive We will be there.!!
I will have more time to post pictures and news for you here!!!
Take care everyone
Dimitris Kourkoulos
Brouklis Str 7
Arillas 49081
Corfu Greece
+30 26630 51418
www.arillas.com
Brouklis Taverna
Learn About what the Locals want you to know while in Arillas

turkeyfoot

Hi Dimitris.

The airlines are gambling on  the situation changing.

If people book and the UK allow flights BUT countries such as Greece will not allow entry, the holiday companies will not have to pay any compensation.

Their  answer will be as the UK government have lifted flight restrictions its not their fault the holiday has to be cancelled. Its your hard luck.

The only chance of a refund is if the UK bans flights only to certain countries rather than allow flights anywhere

Thats my thoughts

Keep safe and well and hopefully see you in September

Geoff
It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than  to speak up and remove all doubt.

Eggy

Dimitris
If we had the cash to enjoy super meals out 4 or 5 times a week you would be on top of our list.
Take some time on the beach , with family , and maybe just sit on that bench which you organise every year.
(Catch me in Kostas and then sit for a beer , with me)
Cheers
Negg

vivian

 When I saw UK was not on your list, I was not at all surprised as we are the worst hit in Europe. If we were in a country that is practically free compared with us and I was on there government I would be fighting tooth and Nail not to let them in. Pete and I have written September off the same as a lot of people that love Arillas as we would hate to bring the virus over with us. I know none off us wold do it on purpose but after 2 airports and a flight who knows what might happen. I  agree with Geoff its all money money  money.y
Just to let you know Pete and I have rebooked for May 8th 2021 and I will e- mail or ring you within the next couple of weeks. XX

Stay Nude it ante rude

Stephanie

Whilst some airlines are saying they are restarting from 1st July and selling flights, British Airways has cancelled our flight to Corfu on 6th July - somewhat confusing and it does make you wonder what they know that the others don't!

We hope that those who get to Arillas don't take any chances and observe any rules to enable the people of Arillas to stay safe and well too!  We look forward to being back in 2021.

turkeyfoot

Hi
Just read this in the Martin Lewis news letter. Never this story before about tourists to Greece. Reckon he has got this wrong


Entry Restrictions

Tourists can arrive from 15 Jun - you can't currently travel but you will be able   to fly into Athens and Thessaloniki, and travel by land, from 15 Jun.

You'll be able to fly into all Greek airports and arrive by sea from 1 Jul.

Quarantine req's

Yes, currently and after tourism resumes on 15 Jun - if arriving from a high-risk area airport (incl many in UK), you'll be tested on arrival and must stay overnight at a designated hotel to await results (you won't be liable for the hotel cost). Then if you test positive you must quarantine for 14 days




It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than  to speak up and remove all doubt.

harold

what does this mean,does it mean that greece is now open for us in the Uk and also like us flying from Exeter as we are not on the list does that mean we are ok???

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Re: Coronavirus - Covid19 Local/National Information and Updates
« Reply #314 on: Today at 06:57:03 PM »
QuoteThank You
Phase 2 – Bridge phase- 15 June to 30 June

International flights are allowed into Athens and Thessaloniki airports.

If you are flying from what is deemed to be a high risk airport in the UK,  then you will be tested upon arrival. An overnight stay at a designated hotel is required. If the test is negative then the passenger self-quarantines for 7 days. If the test is positive, the passenger is quarantined under supervision for 14 days.

List of airports located in affected areas with high risk of transmission of the CoViD-19 infection Issue: 14 Issue Date: 27 May 2020 Effective Date: 29 May 2020

United Kingdom
The following airports:

Birmingham

Doncaster Sheffield

East Midlands

Gatwick

Glasgow

Heathrow

Leeds Bradford

Liverpool John Lennon

London City

Luton

Manchester Airport

Newcastle International

Stansted
Harold,
Theres only one Altrincham FC

BAJ

We were due to fly to Corfu with BA on 30th July. BA emailed on Monday to say the flight was cancelled.

Stephanie

Quote from: BAJ on June 04, 2020, 01:27:43 AM
We were due to fly to Corfu with BA on 30th July. BA emailed on Monday to say the flight was cancelled.

I'm really wondering what BA know seeing as they are cancelling and others aren't?  Is it's a business decision or really related to Covid-19, quarantine and countries allowing UK citizens in.  I don't disagree with it at all at this point (for us it was good to have the "will we go/won't we go" decision taken out of our hands!)  - just intrigued as to why they are the opposite of many.

turkeyfoot

Hi

Portugal seems to be bucking the trend. They say they will welcome vistors from the UK.

I checked their virus stats compared with the UK.

Portugal as of June 4th have had 1447 deaths = to 140.73 per million of population
The UK has had 39728 deaths = to 597.51 per million

Strange

Geoff
It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than  to speak up and remove all doubt.

turkeyfoot

Hi
Copied from the Guardian


Greece has been forced to confront the risks of restarting international tourism after authorities announced that 12 out of 91 passengers onboard a Qatar Airlines flight to Athens had tested positive for coronavirus.

The civil protection ministry responded by suspending air links to and from the Arab state until 15 June. All 91 travellers on the flight were immediately placed in quarantine.

"We knew there would be such cases. We've seen what can happen this summer," said Prof Nikolaos Sipsas, an expert in infectious diseases. He told ANT1 TV that the incident highlighted the degree to which opening up to tourism was a calculated risk.

"The safest [thing] would be not to open up to tourism but that would mean huge economic destruction," said Sipsas, who sits on the specialist committee advising the Greek government on management of the pandemic. "The first thing we have to do is divide countries of origin into safe and unsafe [categories]. That creates certain diplomatic pressure, but for us the first priority is public health."

The passengers who tested positive will have remain isolated in a government-designated hotel for 14 days. At least two were reported to be members of Australia's large ethnic Greek community, many of whom traditionally return to Greece during the summer months.

It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than  to speak up and remove all doubt.

turkeyfoot

Hi
This was copied from the Evening News

British Airways chief Willie Walsh has said the company is considering to sue the government over its quarantine measures and is reviewing the situation with lawyers.
The government has introduced a 14 day quarantine for those entering the country, which could severeley dampen hopes that the airline can get back up and running in July.
Walsh told Ian King on Sky News: "I wrote to MPs last night to say the measures have torpedoed our opportunity to get flying in July. We think it is irrational, disproportionate and we are giving consideration to a legal challenge to this legislation. We are reviewing that with the lawyers later on today.
"I suspect there are other airlines that are doing so because there was no consultation with the industry prior to enacting this legislation and we do believe it is an irrational piece of legislation."

British Airways and its parent owner IAG have been at loggerheads with the government over the past couple of days.

Geoff
It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than  to speak up and remove all doubt.

turkeyfoot

Quote from: harold on June 03, 2020, 09:06:13 PM
what does this mean,does it mean that greece is now open for us in the Uk and also like us flying from Exeter as we are not on the list does that mean we are ok???

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Re: Coronavirus - Covid19 Local/National Information and Updates
« Reply #314 on: Today at 06:57:03 PM »
QuoteThank You
Phase 2 – Bridge phase- 15 June to 30 June

International flights are allowed into Athens and Thessaloniki airports.

If you are flying from what is deemed to be a high risk airport in the UK,  then you will be tested upon arrival. An overnight stay at a designated hotel is required. If the test is negative then the passenger self-quarantines for 7 days. If the test is positive, the passenger is quarantined under supervision for 14 days.

List of airports located in affected areas with high risk of transmission of the CoViD-19 infection Issue: 14 Issue Date: 27 May 2020 Effective Date: 29 May 2020

United Kingdom
The following airports:

Birmingham

Doncaster Sheffield

East Midlands

Gatwick

Glasgow

Heathrow

Leeds Bradford

Liverpool John Lennon

London City

Luton

Manchester Airport

Newcastle International

Stansted

Hi Harold
See following article from the Times.
Avoid coronavirus travel quarantine by flying from 'clean' airport

Holidaymakers flying from a limited number of British airports will be able to enter Europe without being tested and quarantined under new measures to open up tourism.

A "blacklist" of 13 UK airports has been drawn up by the European Aviation Safety Agency (Easa), an EU organisation, to mark out those in areas with the highest coronavirus infection rates.

Greece confirmed yesterday that the system would be used to determine which passengers would be subject to the strictest measures on arrival from June 15 when it opens its borders to tourists for the first time since March. All people from high-risk areas will be given a Covid-19 test, with isolation periods of seven or 14 days depending on whether the result is positive. Harry Theoharis, Greece's tourism minister, confirmed that the "more difficult travelling arrangement" would only routinely apply to those arriving from airports on the list.

It raises the possibility that tourists will be able to avoid tests and quarantine when flying out of some UK airports. Those not on the Easa list included Edinburgh — the sixth busiest airport in Britain — as well as Belfast, Bristol, Aberdeen, Southend, Southampton and Cardiff.

The 13 airports blacklisted included Heathrow, Gatwick, Luton, Stansted, Manchester, Birmingham and Glasgow. The list will be updated regularly. Easa's global list featured all airports in 23 American states and those in the Île de France region around Paris, Lombardy in northern Italy and those in Catalonia and Madrid in Spain.

The plan emerged as Spain said that it wanted to welcome British tourists back as soon as possible. It will receive foreign visitors from July 1. A pilot scheme will operate in the last two weeks of June involving thousands of visitors, mostly from Germany, arriving in the Balearic and Canary islands and tracked through an app.

Aviation sources told The Times yesterday that the Greek arrangement was likely to be adopted in other European countries in coming weeks and months......

It is better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than  to speak up and remove all doubt.

GillB

The current guidance from the Greek government on travel from the uk after the 15th June was updated yesterday (you can sign up for updates to your email address very easily)
At present any flights into Greece require you to have a COVID test on landing and stay in government accommodation for 12hrs until the result. Negative result means 7 days self isolation at a named address, positive test means 14 days isolation in government accommodation. Therefore under current quarantine guidelines from both countries you need 5/6 weeks to get a 2 week holiday. That is of course depending on which airline is actually flying out to Corfu. I get the impression that flights to Corfu will be like hens teeth....
However much I want a holiday this year on our favourite beach & in our happy place I have resigned myself to it not happening, goodness knows I need it more than ever (I'm NHS) but I would rather keep the lovely people of Arillas safe and virus free. Until next year Arillas..... stay safe!

philippa

Oh dear what a mess!!! Everywhere!
Here in Austria the border problems are extreme - 15th June most borders open but with strict controls!! So you can imagine the traffic jams when our northern neighbours  start travelling. - whereby we donot think that many will want holiday in he Tirol as usual - esprcially if the weather is as sh..as it is now.
Most will be in Transit to all the other countries that they travel to south of us..
But big problem with Italy - Austrian gov do not want to open the borders to Italy !! Italians are furious -EU says that is a breach of EU laws etc etc bladdy bladdy blah.

We are still hoping for our flights from MUC 29th Sep - but if all the restrictions are still in place then we will not be able to go - most likely the flight will be cancelled anyway! Too few passengers!
Next week some of the mask rules will change -( your specs steam up etc) - you cannot think straight!!

Oh to be in Arrillas - like all of you guys - to see and eat with Thomas - Marinios - et al - looking out to the sea instead of bloddy mountains covered in cloud
Anyway all of you keep safe
Philippa