Post struggling with a six-month long COVID lockdown, Greece has finally announced reopening its restaurants and café terraces in the country.
Greece, since November 2020, had experienced the third wave which claimed almost 10,000 lives in the country, leading to a temporary closure of outside eateries and other non-essential businesses.
Reports suggest that the government had permitted non-essential industries and schools to resume operation last month as it slowly moved to ease limitations. Although, the authorities have continued curfew limit till 11 pm in order to keep the pandemic situation under control.
However, only restaurants and cafes with outdoor seating were allowed to reopen, as on Monday, even as several restaurants were permanently shut in Thessaloniki and Athens.
It has been reported that the restaurants have been asked to follow stringent COVID-19 regulations with only six individuals allowed per table and servers to essentially wear masks and coronavirus testing to take place once a week.
Apart from easing the regulations on eating in restaurants and café terraces, Greece government has also lifted a compulsory seven-day quarantine for travelers from the US, UK, UAE, European Union, and Serbia, on a condition that tourists from these places need to present proof of vaccination or a negative coronavirus test.
According to reliable sources, the government had also announced its plans of ramping up its vaccine rollout while adding that it would conclude vaccinating individuals above age of 60 years by May.
Additionally, the authorities have also sped up the vaccination drive ahead of the summer tourist season with people above 30 years currently eligible for the jab amid EU’s proposal of allowing travelers, who are fully vaccinated with EU-approved jabs, to enter the bloc.
EU’s four vaccines authorized by the European Medicines Agency include Moderna, Pfizer- BioNTech, Johnson & Johnson, and AstraZeneca. Besides, the agency is also contemplating the use of Russia’s Sputnik V vaccine.
Importantly, the country has laid down its plans to formally reopen on May 14 with various businesses eager to welcome summer tourists after losing out the previous year.
Source Credit: https://www.wionews.com/world/greece-reopens-restaurant-terraces-amid-joy-after-long-covid-lockdown-382548