Italy and Greece ease pandemic restrictions

Tuesday, May 3, 2022

For travelers visiting Europe, summer vacations have become whole lot easier!

On Sunday, Italy and Greece eased some COVID-19 restrictions before Europe’s topmost summer tourist season, which reflects that lifeisgraduallygoing back to normal.

Greece’s civil aviation authority said that it is dismissing all COVID-19 instructions for international and domestic flights except for wearing of face masks during flights and at airports. Previously, air travelers had to provide proof of their vaccination, a negative test or a recent recovery from the disease.

As of Sunday, visitors to Italy would no longer need to fill out the EU passenger locator form, which is indeed anintricate online troubleto be faced at airport check-in.

Italy also took away the health pass that was previously required to enter restaurants, cinemas, gyms and other venues. The green pass, which is a proof of vaccination, recovery from the virus or a recent negative test, is still obligatoryforgetting into hospitals and nursing homes.

Some indoor mask directives in Italy are also over, including inside supermarkets, workplaces and stores. Masks are still compulsory on public transport, in cinemas and in health care facilities and nursing homes.

In Greece, where tourism accounts for about 20% of its GNP, pandemic rules have already been dismissed. On the tourist island of Mykonos, revelers can be witnessed on the beaches, bars and restaurants. Many owners said that business is the best now than they had seen in years and expects this to continue for the long May Day weekend.

Vaccination certificates in Greece areeliminated, not permanently although, but from May 1 to August 31, it will be decided whether to bring them back. Restrictions on the number of customers in indoor spaces have also ended.

However, masks are still required indoors and in vehicles in Greece, and using them outdoors in crowded locations like concerts is suggested.

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