GREECE is set to welcome Brits back to the country from July 1 as its resumes its long-awaited holiday season.
Seasonal hotels are expected to open in the country from June 15, while international flights will fly directly to tourist hot spots from July.
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Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis revealed that a list of countries soon able to travel to Greece will be announced before the end of May.
SELECT FEW
The chosen countries will be based on epidemiological criteria set out by experts dealing with the coronavirus pandemic in Greece.
But Brits are unlikely to be among the first let in.
Mr Theoheris said Balkan and Baltic countries, Germany and regional countries such as Israel and Cyprus are expected to be in the first wave of those allowed to enter.
Visitors from those countries will at first only be able to fly into Athens' international airport, before international flights to the rest of the country resume July 1.
EXCLUDED COUNTRIES
Some countries, however, might be excluded, depending on the situation with their coronavirus outbreaks, the minister said.
Those countries would be closely watched, with a view to re-establishing direct flights when the situation allows.
Speaking in a televised address to the nation, Prime Minister Kyriakos Mitsotakis said visitors would be subject to sample coronavirus testing.
But holidaymakers arriving will not be subject to mandatory quarantine or blanket testing of all arrivals, but Greek authorities will have the right to carry out sample testing, he said.
People living in Greece have already started to enjoy their summer at home, as public beaches and major tourist attractions reopened over the weekend.
The country imposed its lockdown fairly early on in its coronavirus outbreak, meaning the number of deaths and critically ill people there were kept at low levels.
On Wednesday, health authorities announced one new death and 10 new confirmed coronavirus cases, bringing the total number of dead to 166 and the total number of confirmed cases to 2,850 in the country of nearly 11 million.
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