Following the increase in Covid-19 cases in the neighboring Balkans and several " imported " cases in recent days, Athens has decided to take measures " for nationals of neighboring countries arriving by land border ".
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" All those who enter, from Tuesday, July 14, through the border crossing of Promahonas with Bulgaria will have to present negative tests carried out up to 72 hours before their arrival in Greece ", specified Friday the spokesman of the Greek government , Stelios Petsas.
On Friday, 29 tourists from Bulgaria and Romania tested positive for coronavirus at the Promahonas border crossing. At least seven Serbian tourists across the country have also tested positive for Covid-19 since Monday and are in quarantine. After a resurgence in the number of cases in Serbia, Greece decided on Sunday to close its borders to all nationals of Serbia until July 15.
Random tests on tourists
As soon as its borders opened in mid-June, Greece decided to carry out random tests on tourists arriving in the country. Travelers were required to complete an online questionnaire 48 hours in advance and receive a barcode determining if they should be screened upon arrival. " From now on this questionnaire will have to be completed 24 hours in advance, " said government spokesman Stelios Petsas.
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“ The number of tests carried out will be increased. Until Sunday, more than 300 checks will be carried out in Greece, "he also said. While the toll in Greece remains particularly low, with only 193 deaths, the fact that more than half of the cases currently come from tourists is a matter of concern.
" The measures to lighten the containment caused a rebound effect from the first wave, " said Athanassios Tsakris, the head of the microbiology department of the Faculty of Medicine of Athens, on the Skai television channel. According to the expert, in the coming days, " it is possible that a larger increase (of cases) will be observed ".