Minister of Tourism: Every hotel must have a contracted doctor
tourism
09 May 2020
/ 14:08
ATHENS. Minister of Tourism Haris Theoharis presented the main points of the plan to safely manage the pandemic ahead of the tourist season during an online event with ONNED (Young Nea Dimokratia).
According to the Minister of Tourism, the measures that the Government is looking into include 'health passports' for incoming tourists, contracted doctors for hotels in order to speed up diagnoses and a series of other health measures.
Some of the points made by Mr. Theoharis:
- It will be obligatory for passengers coming to Greece to have had a test up to 72 hours prior to boarding the plane if they want to come Greece and these will be checked at check-ins in the country of departure just as was done for repatriations at the outbreak of the crisis.
- Correspondingly and in line with bilateral agreements between countries, Greek tourists who wish to travel abroad will also have to have been tested up to 72 hours prior to departure.
- As a consequence of these strict checks and based on the current Ministry plan, it is not foreseen that there will be a reduction in the number of seats available on planes. "We won't reduce the number of seats so that the companies will be able financially to operate their flights," said Mr. Theoharis.
- It is also preferred that for flights with up to a specific duration (the Minister mentioned up to four hours) food will not be served to the passengers - only packaged snacks.
- There will be no buffets in hotels, with the possible exception of small hotels. "We can't have everyone picking up the spoons and then have them picked up by other people," said Mr. Theoharis.
- Sunbeds on the beach will be widely spaced and coverings are being considered which will be disinfected after each use by bathers.
Tourism doctors and quarantine hotels
If there are suspicious symptoms: All hotels will be obliged to have a contract with a doctor who will have attended a special seminar and who will, either in person or by telesurgery, assess whether the symptoms indicate the virus and can order tests to be carried out. The aim is to have a result within 6 hours so that the patient can be transferred to a 'quarantine hotel' if necessary.
- The Ministry of Tourism will rent one accommodation facility in each tourist resort in Greece which will operate as a 'quarantine hotel' and tourists will be taken here if it is confirmed that they are carriers of coronavirus. The name of the accommodation facility will not be given out. If a tourist wishes or requires further medical care, "this will require even more work" so that they can be transferred to main health facilities.
- Tourist will leave Greece without checks in order to avoid the danger of them being trapped here and having to remain in quarantine in Greece.
Source: kathimerini.gr
Some of the points made by Mr. Theoharis:
- It will be obligatory for passengers coming to Greece to have had a test up to 72 hours prior to boarding the plane if they want to come Greece and these will be checked at check-ins in the country of departure just as was done for repatriations at the outbreak of the crisis.
- Correspondingly and in line with bilateral agreements between countries, Greek tourists who wish to travel abroad will also have to have been tested up to 72 hours prior to departure.
- As a consequence of these strict checks and based on the current Ministry plan, it is not foreseen that there will be a reduction in the number of seats available on planes. "We won't reduce the number of seats so that the companies will be able financially to operate their flights," said Mr. Theoharis.
- It is also preferred that for flights with up to a specific duration (the Minister mentioned up to four hours) food will not be served to the passengers - only packaged snacks.
- There will be no buffets in hotels, with the possible exception of small hotels. "We can't have everyone picking up the spoons and then have them picked up by other people," said Mr. Theoharis.
- Sunbeds on the beach will be widely spaced and coverings are being considered which will be disinfected after each use by bathers.
Tourism doctors and quarantine hotels
If there are suspicious symptoms: All hotels will be obliged to have a contract with a doctor who will have attended a special seminar and who will, either in person or by telesurgery, assess whether the symptoms indicate the virus and can order tests to be carried out. The aim is to have a result within 6 hours so that the patient can be transferred to a 'quarantine hotel' if necessary.
- The Ministry of Tourism will rent one accommodation facility in each tourist resort in Greece which will operate as a 'quarantine hotel' and tourists will be taken here if it is confirmed that they are carriers of coronavirus. The name of the accommodation facility will not be given out. If a tourist wishes or requires further medical care, "this will require even more work" so that they can be transferred to main health facilities.
- Tourist will leave Greece without checks in order to avoid the danger of them being trapped here and having to remain in quarantine in Greece.
Source: kathimerini.gr
