Greece extends international travel restrictions to Jan. 21, toughens quarantine

The requirement that all passengers flying to Greece must receive a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test 72 hours prior to their arrival and undergo random testing for the coronavirus has been extended until midnight on Jan. 21, the authority said in a statement.

Greece has extended restrictions on international flights by two weeks to help rein in the spread of COVID-19, its civil aviation authority said on Friday. The requirement that all passengers flying to Greece must receive a negative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) test 72 hours prior to their arrival and undergo random testing for the coronavirus has been extended until midnight on Jan. 21, the authority said in a statement. The order had previously been due to expire on Jan. 7.

Under renewed restrictions, foreign travellers will also be quarantined for seven days, instead of three days, while all travellers from Britain will also have a rapid test upon their arrival, the statement added. Greece has been more effective than many European countries in containing the coronavirus pandemic, despite its struggling health services, which were badly hit by years of financial crisis.

The country has confirmed 142,777 infections since it detected its first case in February and 5,146 related deaths. In recent weeks it has been fighting significant COVID clusters in northern Greece and western Attica near the capital Athens.

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