Australians were offered quarantine-free travel to Greece but it was too good to be true 

Why you CAN’T go to Greece after all: Australians were offered quarantine-free travel but it was too good to be true

  • Greek Government announced it would accept travellers from 29 countries 
  • Australian health officials warned of health concerns and that travel is illegal 
  • Travellers would need to seek exemption for holiday from the government
  • Australians returning from overseas will still be subject to 14-day quarantine  
  • Greece will revise the list from July 1 to include other international visitors 
  • Here’s how to help people impacted by Covid-19

Australians who were looking forward to a summer holiday in Greece will not be allowed to go because travelling outside the country without exemption remains illegal.

The Greek Government announced on Friday it will allow visitors from a total of 29 countries to directly fly to Athens or Thessaloniki from June 15. 

Australians must seek exemption from the government in order to leave the country and tourism is not a sufficient enough excuse. 

Despite Australians being offered a quarantine-free arrival, health officials warn that there remains a significant health risk on the Mediterranean island due to the coronavirus pandemic.  

The Greek Government announced on Friday it will allow visitors from a total of 29 countries to directly fly to Athens or Thessaloniki from June 15

Greece’s ambassador to Australia, George Papacostas, claims the quarantine free arrival is impossible due to no direct flights travelling to the country.  

Travellers would have to make their way en-route Qatar, UAE or Asia which have been temporarily blacklisted from Greece due to the coronavirus, The Guardian reported.

By travelling en-route through Qatar, UAE or Asia, the quarantine-free period in turn becomes invalid. 

Upon returning from overseas, Australians will continue to be subject to the 14-day mandatory hotel quarantine. 

However, a Department of Home Affairs spokeswoman said Australian dual-nationals who leave the country on their foreign passport wouldn’t need an exemption at the airport. 

Daily Mail Australia has contacted the Department of Home Affairs and Australian Border Force for comment. 

Australian health officials have pointed out that travel to the Mediterranean island poses a significant health risk during the pandemic and is in fact illegal

Australian health officials have pointed out that travel to the Mediterranean island poses a significant health risk during the pandemic and is in fact illegal

Tourism and related industries make up around 20 per cent of the Greek economy, and the government has been anxious to ensure the tourist season is not lost this year. 

What countries will be allowed to resume international travel to Greece? 

The Greek Government announced it would allow visitors from 29 countries to travel to its country from June 15.

The countries are:

Albania, Australia, Austria, North Macedonia, Bulgaria, Germany, Denmark, Switzerland, Estonia, Japan, Israel, China, Croatia, Cyprus, Latvia, Lebanon, New Zealand, Lithuania, Malta, Montenegro, Norway, South Korea, Hungary, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Czech Republic and Finland. 

‘We are opening up, but at the same time we are closely monitoring the situation. Strict health protocols will protect both staff and tourists,’ Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis said on Friday. 

‘Our aim is to be able to welcome every tourist who has overcome their fear and has the ability to travel to our country.’ 

Peter Collignon, a professor of infectious diseases at the Australian National University, said there’s a greater risk in contracting COVID-19 due to the difference in testing.  

‘I would be worried about going to a place where there’s not been the same amount of testing as Australia. You’ve got to assume both the guests you’re with and people in your hotel could be carrying Covid-19,’ he told The Guardian.  

‘We can’t even go to Queensland now, let alone Greece.’

Among the list of countries allowed to resume international travel to Greece are Albania, Austria, North Macedonia and Bulgaria to name a few.

The UK was not included.

Visitors arriving from those countries could be subject to sample coronavirus testing, the ministry said.

The list will be expanded on July 1 to include other countries, the ministry said. 

Greece imposed a lockdown early in its coronavirus outbreak, a move credited with limiting infections.

The country so far has a total of 175 deaths and just over 2,900 confirmed cases.

No cases have been detected on the vast majority of the Greek islands, which are popular vacation spots. 

Read more at DailyMail.co.uk