Minister: Greece to lift restrictions for Italian tourists

ATHENS, Greece (AP) — Greece will gradually lift all restrictions on Italian tourists entering the country by the end of the month, Greece’s foreign minister said Tuesday.

Nikos Dendias, speaking after meeting in Athens with Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio, said the decision was taken based on the improving situation regarding the spread of the coronavirus in Italy.

Rome had been angered by its exclusion from a list of 29 countries whose citizens Athens had initially announced would be allowed into Greece from June 15 without compulsory coronavirus tests or quarantines. The Greek government later clarified tourists would be allowed to enter without restrictions if they arrived from airports — rather than countries — that were not on a European air safety agency list of those considered high risk regarding the virus.

“Mr. Di Maio informed me about the radically improving epidemiological data in Italy,” Dendias said. “Based on this, Greece is lifting ... from next Monday and gradually until the end of the month, any restrictions” on the arrival of tourists. He did not elaborate on what the gradual steps will be.

Greece has said tourists can fly to Athens or the main northern city of Thessaloniki from June 15, while international flights can land at regional airports across the country from July 1. Visitors arriving from airports not on the European air safety agency list of at-risk regions will be subjected to random spot coronavirus tests only and will not face the mandatory testing and quarantine currently in place for all international travelers.

“Greece expects that our Italian friends will spend their holidays in our country this year, too, as in all previous years,” Dendias said.

Italy has recorded a continuing downward trend of infections, deaths and intensive care admissions, more...