Greece announced on Wednesday that it will scrap COVID-19 vaccination and recovery certificates starting on May 1st while masks will no longer be required in indoor public spaces starting on June 1st.
Greece’s health minister, Thanos Plevris, announced the lifting of the COVID-19 restrictions at a press briefing on Wednesday where he also said that the requirement of one self-test a week is also being scrapped for pupils and educators at schools. This will go into effect after the Easter break.
COVID-19-related occupancy rates in restaurants, shops to be lifted
At workplaces, meanwhile, staff will only be required to take one rapid test a week from the current two, a measure also starting on May 1st.
The minister also announced that restrictions on occupancy rates at places like restaurants, shops, and sports venues are being lifted until August 31st when all the measures will be reviewed.
The easing of COVID-19-related restrictions comes as Greece is preparing for the summer season when a record number of tourists are expected to visit the country.
Starting on May 2nd, travelers to Greece will not be required to show proof of vaccination and testing requirements at airports will be scrapped, regardless of vaccination status.
Greece reports 65 COVID-19 deaths on Wednesday
Greece confirmed 11,061 new coronavirus infections in the last 24 hours, the National Public Health Organization (EODY) reported on Wednesday, bringing all confirmed infections since the pandemic began to 3,206,948.
Of the daily total, reinfections are assessed at 232 in the last 24 hours while their total since the pandemic began is assessed at 119,546.
There are also 65 deaths recorded in the last 24 hours, bringing the total of pandemic victims to 28,344. Of these, 95.4 percent had an underlying condition and/or were aged 70 or over.
A total of 345 patients are on ventilators in hospitals. Their median age is 70 years and 92.5 percent have an underlying condition and/or are aged 70 or over. Of the total, 192 (55.65 percent) are unvaccinated or partly vaccinated and 153 (44.35 percent) are fully vaccinated.
The median age of new infections is 36 years while the median age of the deceased is 79.
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