Greece introduces strict new coronavirus land border controls

The Greek government is taking additional measures to curb the spread of the coronavirus.

Government spokesman Stelios Petsas announced that entry to Greece is only allowed for essential movement through specific check-points: Kakavia, Krystallopigi, Evzonous, Promahonas, Nymfaio and Kymi.

The new measures go into effect from Tuesday midnight (July 22) until Wednesday 4th August.

Those who have a residence permit and an expatriate permit are also required to complete the Passenger Locator Form (PLF).

Seasonal land workers who leave Greece before August 4, will not have the right to return, since it was determined they were a potential source of the spread of coronavirus.

“Due to the burden on the epidemiological characteristics of the Balkan countries, we took additional measures at the Promachonas border post, while we started extensive targeted tests on our border with Albania," Petsas said.

He also reminded that weekly briefings by the head of Civil Protection Nikos Hardalias, will resume as of Tuesday.

Greece reported 11 new coronavirus cases in the latest 24-hour reporting period, of which 2 are from incoming travellers.

In more detail:

• 2 were identified after checks at the country’s entrance gates
• 3 other imported cases (who voluntarily got tested after showing symptoms)
• 2 cases in Attica
• 3 cases in Thessaloniki
• 1 case in Karpathos

This raises the total number of cases to 4,012, of which 54.7% are men.

Of the total cases, 1,112 are linked to travel abroad and 2,051 are linked to other known cases.

The number of fatalities now stands at 195. The average age of the patients that died of Covid-19 was 76 and the number of patients being treated in intensive care is 12 (83.3 % men).

Some 413,760 tests (including retests) have been carried out in Greece since the start of the pandemic, of which 6,172 (1.5%) tested positive.

Professor of infectious diseases, Nikos Sypsas, stressed that if necessary “new restrictive measures will be taken in time. From the simplest to local lockdown."

However, he assured that the epidemiological situation of the coronavirus in Greece is manageable. “We are not in the second wave yet. Greece is a safe country. We just want to stay that way and not have an ‘accident.'”

It is recalled, wearing masks or other face coverings is now compulsory again for supermarket employees and customers as of Saturday (July 18).