Greece reopens main airports to more intl flights

Greece reopened its main airports to more international flights on Monday, as the country hopes to kick-start its vital tourism sector after three months in lockdown.

The Greek tourism industry employs around 700,000 people and accounts for some 20 percent of the country’s economic output. Greece emerged from a decade-long debt crisis two years ago. Approximately 33 million tourists visited the Mediterranean nation last year, generating revenues of €19 billion.

Passengers arriving from airports deemed high-risk by the EU’s aviation safety agency will be tested for the coronavirus and quarantined for up to 14 days, depending on the test result, Reuters said. Restrictions remain for passengers from Britain and Turkey. Arrivals from other airports will be randomly tested.

The conservative government in Athens now faces the tough task of opening the country to foreign visitors while allaying public concerns about a new virus outbreak.