European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control deemed The southern Aegean islands of Greece very dangerous and were marked ‘dark red’ in the Covid-19 map on Thursday.
Except for essential trips, all travels to and from the area are not recommended.
The 13-island cluster containing Greece’s most visited destinations attracts millions of foreign tourists and visitors every year.
Hoping for a recovery in the international tourism industry, Greece advertised ‘Covid-free’ islands to draw tourists back after the 2020 setback.
Although it witnessed a rise in arrival volumes in June, there remains uncertainty over the season’s outcome.
“We’re waiting to see how the (tourist) markets will react, as more than 90% of tourists are from abroad,” said the Rhodes’ hoteliers association president, Manolis Markopoulos.
Most visitors to Greece are from Germany and the UK.
The ECDC map helps identify areas of high risk and helps EU member states apply quarantine and on-site testing rules.
Crete, Greece’s biggest island had been downgraded to the ‘dark red’ zone last week.
