Greece Announces Plans To Welcome Tourists In May

Greece has announced plans to welcome tourists back to the country in May.

The nation is desperate to get its tourism sector back up and running and tourism minister Haris Theoharis said it would soon welcome anyone who had been vaccinated, had antibodies or had tested negative for Covid-19.

According to The Guardian, he told the IBT Berlin tourism fair: "We aim to open tourism by 14 May with specific rules and updated protocols.

"Until then, we will gradually lift restrictions if conditions allow."

PA

This of course means Greece will be able to welcome English tourists by the time England reaches step three of Boris Johnson's roadmap out of lockdown, which - all being well - should begin on 17 May.

Before then, at step two, people will be allowed to go on domestic holidays with members of their own household from 12 April - again, all being well.

By 'all', what I actually mean is four measures the government will be using to assess whether it is appropriate to procced to the next phase of lockdown easing. These measures are as follows:

• The vaccine deployment programme is continuing successfully.

• Evidence shows vaccines are sufficiently effective in reducing hospitalisations and deaths in those vaccinated.

• Infection rates do not risk a surge in hospitalisations which would put unsustainable pressure on the NHS.

• The assessment of the risks is not fundamentally changed by new variants.

Students returned to school on Monday (8 March) and the next phase of what Boris Johnson described as the 'gradual but irreversible' road out of lockdown is due to begin on 29 March.

From then, you will be able to meet up outdoors with one other household or in a group of up to six people from separate households.

PA

Explaining the rules from 29 March in more detail, the government's Covid-19 Response - Spring 2021 document states: "People will be able to meet outside in groups up to a maximum of 6 people (the Rule of 6) or with one other household, though people from different households will still need to socially distance from each other.

"This will apply in all outdoor settings, including private gardens.

"Applying either limit provides greater flexibility, recognising the different situations faced by families and individuals; two households will be more helpful for families, while the Rule of 6 is likely to help people in different households to reunite outdoors, including those living alone or in shared accommodation."

Outdoor leisure facilities and organised grassroots sport will also resume. Then, a couple of weeks after that, beer gardens will reopen on April 12.

We're getting there folks.

Topics: World News, holidays, travel

Jake Massey

Jake Massey is a journalist at LADbible. He graduated from Newcastle University, where he learnt a bit about media and a lot about living without heating. After spending a few years in Australia and New Zealand, Jake secured a role at an obscure radio station in Norwich, inadvertently becoming a real-life Alan Partridge in the process. From there, Jake became a reporter at the Eastern Daily Press. Jake enjoys playing football, listening to music and writing about himself in the third person.

@jakesmassey