Greece has handled the coronavirus pandemic extremely well with a quick response and measured re-openings of businesses and everyday life. However, they are about to make a huge step this next Monday as Greece welcomes tourists from all over to their shores. Greece has been preparing for this and has been acting to make sure that they can keep infections low.
Greece Fined a Beach Bar €20K and Shut it Down for Violating Rules
With over €4 million in fines issues during the almost two month lockdown in Greece, those €150 fines are nothing compared to the fines levied at businesses that break the rules on overcrowding. Greece wants to make sure it stays safe and this means controlling the amount of people at the beaches around the country and islands.
Rules for beach bars have been strict – visitors could come but there were minimum distances between umbrellas and chairs and people could not go to the bar for drinks. Servers would take orders and deliver only. One beach bar in Mykonos, Alemagou, failed to abide by those rules and there was a large party/gathering and breaking the rules.
The penalty? A lockout for 60 days (which will expire in early August) and a fine of €20,000. This shows that the government is not playing around and that they expect the restaurants, beach bars, etc to enforce the rules to keep the virus counts from going up.
Rules like these have been put in place in order for Greece to open for a summer season at all and the government expects them to be followed. If you plan on visiting Greece this summer, now you know how serious the government is about keeping things healthy.
Greece’s Rules for Beaches
Here is the list of updated rules for the beaches:
- Only two people can be seated under a single umbrella with the exception of families with young children.
- Beach beds should be placed at least 1.5 meters apart from neighbouring umbrella; umbrellas should be placed 4 meters apart.
- Team sports involving close contact are forbidden.
- Beach bars and cafes or mobile units offering food and drink can serve items in a package (and continue to offer take-away services). Dispersed chairs and tables are allowed in café or bar space with customers seated at least 1.5 meters apart.
- Social distancing and hygiene rules apply throughout.
- Beach bars and cafés are not allowed to play music or hold parties and similar events.
- Beach capacity has been set at 40 people per 1,000m2.
Good for the Greek government. They did what they said they would do if an establishment violated this. Hopefully it sets the tone for every other place in the country moving forward.
I would hate to see all of Little Venice or even other parts of Mykonos shut down due to this bar. I’m supposed to be on Mykonos in late August but I’m well beyond the night club scene.
Charlie, what do you know about the random COVID testing they are doing at ATH? Is it possible to be randomly chosen and then be forced to quarantine in the government’s hotel even after July 1 or July 15?
The locals down there were NOT happy about that shutdown at all! But, I think it was necessary if Greece wants to keep a tight lid on activity that could spread any potential virus from carriers.
I just found out this morning a little more about the testing for the next two weeks. Every passenger flying into Thessaloniki (which opens to international flights today) will be tested while only the passengers coming from those previously designated high-risk airports will be tested in Athens. The government has web fielding bids from local hotels there to exclusively hold passengers for any positive result tourists. But, they are just paying €30 a day and the hotel will have to be exclusive for this purpose. If the hotel wasn’t going to open anyway, I could see it.
However, for now, passengers only have to state that they will stay in their designated address on the form upon arrival for 24 hours (following the test) instead of having to overnight at designated hotels.
So, the quarantine would appear to only be for positive results.
Looks like Greece yesterday extended the ban of flights from the UK until the end of the month when it was supposed to be June 15. I would not want to be the person who had a flight between June 15 and June 30, have the flight cancelled and have to rebook everything or even lose money on ferries, etc.
This is one of my biggest concerns. Let’s say Greece opens up flights from the US. Then, with just one day notice, they decide to stop flights from the US. That would be a disaster for most on near future flights. This possible situation is really pushing me to cancel international travel for this year.
That and they stopped Turkish flights until then as well. I am not sure if that was entirely due to the virus or to some of the other regional things going on.
I wish I could say! I think this is more fluid than even Greece had expected or wanted but I think they may have things under control enough by July 1 as far as thoroughness and a good process for testing that they may not mind who comes then. Possibly!
Don’t know if this was discussed yet but I noticed the American Airlines direct flight from O’Hare to ATH has been pushed back to start on Aug 5