Greece

Holidaymakers who choose Greece as their destination this summer no longer have to wear face masks. According to the Greek Minister of Health Thanos Plevris, the indoor mask obligation will expire on 1 June in the famous holiday country.   People no longer need to submit a corona vaccination or recovery certificate between 1 May and 31 August if they want to visit indoor or outdoor spaces such as a restaurant. The authorities are also considering lifting the obligation for tourists to show a European corona travel pass when entering the country. The number of corona cases in Greece has decreased in recent weeks. Authorities reported 15,000 new cases and 64 deaths on Tuesday. About 72 percent of the approximately 11 million Greeks have been vaccinated. According to Plevris, condit...

The Greek government is under fire for the problems caused by heavy snowfall. Emergency services had to evacuate thousands of people this week after being stranded in their cars on a snow-covered highway near Athens. The media is talking about a "fiasco".   Emergency services are still on the road to remove hundreds of abandoned vehicles. Many people left the road on foot, leaving their cars behind. The government and the private company that maintains the highway have apologized for the massive congestion. Some motorists had spent the night from Monday to Tuesday in their cars. Soldiers distributed food, water and blankets on the road. The highway operator blames "car problems and lack of experience among drivers". The CEO of the organization has resigned. Victims of motorists wil...

Hurricane Ianos has made landfall in Greece. The combination of heavy rains and strong winds have hit multiple islands in the Ionian Sea by flooding and power outages, Deputy Civil Defense Minister Nikos Hardalias said.   Wind speeds of up to 117 kilometres per hour were measured during the storm. Several flights to the island of Kefalonia had to divert due to the strong winds. Many trees have also been blown down. Hardalias said authorities have not yet received reports of casualties. The Coast Guard reported that off the coast of the western part of the Peloponnese peninsula, a ship carrying 55 migrants might have gotten into trouble due to bad weather. People close to the storm have been advised to stay where they are. In 2017, more than 20 people died from a severe storm in G...