An unexpected gift was offered on Friday to millions of Americans who wish to travel to Greece this summer by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC).
The US Health Authorities issued a statement noting that vaccinated Americans will be able to travel abroad ”at low risk for themselves” and without having to be quarantined upon their return to the United States.
The only exception to this rule will be in case individual States decide to impose quarantines on those arriving from abroad or other US states.
Not exactly a ”Return to Normalcy”
However, this particularly positive news does not come without its caveats. US citizens will have to continue wearing face masks and strictly observe the social distancing rules imposed by the authorities, both at home and abroad.
Namely, travelers will be obliged to keep at least 2 meters (6 ft) distance from others, wash their hands regularly and be vigilant to report any symptoms of COVID-19.
Additionally, those who wish to travel in the summer of 2021 will have to present a negative test upon their arrival back to the US, as well as to conduct another test between three and five days after their arrival.
As for the question of whether they will have to conduct a Coronavirus test before they travel abroad, the new CDC guidance says that they should not do it “unless it is required by the international destination.”
American Tourists in Greece
Americans have been a major part of summer tourism in Greece in past decades. Although they may not make up the largest contingent of visitors, they spend more than most others — and that was noticed in 2019.
The difficult Summer of 2020 meant far fewer travelers from nearly everywhere in the world, as weak after week and month after month went by without Greece allowing Americans to visit the country.
Despite the UK having far more coronavirus infections and deaths than the US per capita, no Americans were allowed to visit the country, following the European Union’s directive of not allowing non-EU citizens to enter the Union.
That kept millions of Americans on US shores last summer as they put their European vacation dreams on the back burner for another year.
However, the latest developments bring hope back to everyone’s minds, as US citizens might eventually be able to visit their favorite Greek destinations very soon.
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