New public health rules kick off across Greece, with leisure and entertainment venues like restaurants, bars, cinemas and theaters having to declare whether they operate for vaccinated customers only or mixed, vaccinated or vaccinated.
The rules are to be implemented until August 31, 2021, and for seated customers only.
Indoors spaces operate for vaccinated or recovered from Covid-19 citizens and with capacity up to 85% and with observance of safety distances.
Mandatory use of masks in theaters & cinemas.
Customers must show at the entrance their vaccination certificate digital or in printed form and those recovered from the coronavirus the relevant confirmation.
Minors can enter the venues with self-test and parents’ statement.
Certificates are scanned by the venues personnel with a special application Covid Free GR developed by the Digital Governance Ministry for mobile phones and tablets with iOS or Android software. The App can be downloaded free of charge here. The government has still to clarify how the identification of the customer will take place, as it has not issued the relevant ministerial decision yet, although the new rule was launched on Friday morning.
Outdoors spaces can operate “mixed” yet venue owners have the right to accept only “vaccinated” if they wish to.
There are no checks at the entrance at the mixed outdoor spaces.
If a customer wants for some reason to enter inside the facility (WC, order, e.tc.) he has to wear a face mask.
Venues will have to put stickers issued by the government clarifying whether they are mixed or vaccinated only and also if they have “fully vaccinated personnel.”
The latter could be difficult as the majority of waiters, bartenders e.tc. are young people for whom the platforms to arrange vaccination appointments was opened only recently.
Note that the Civil Protection ordered on Thursday that unvaccinated personnel in food service on 4 islands and two cities on Crete will have to carry out twice weekly Covid-19 tests.
Venue owners who do not comply with the new rules are to be punished with fines starting at 2,000 euros and reaching up to 10,000 as well as suspension of operation between 7 and 60 days.
It has still to be clarified whether also customers who use a forged Covid-certificate or violate any other rule will be fined as well.
The initial government plan to have not vaccinated customers in mixed spaces go there with PCR or Rapid test was abandoned following strong reactions by citizens and venue owners arguing that that such a measure would skyrocket the coast of dining out or enjoy a coffee or a drink.
However, the government App has also options to check PCR and Rapid tests validity just in case it will be needed in the future.
Validity of Covid-certificates:
Vaccination – 14 days from the date of the last dose.
Recovery from illness – up to 6 months later.
Rapid test – 48 hours from sample collection (duration counts from 00:01 from the date of sample collection).
PCR test – 72 hours from sample collection (duration counts from 00:01 from the date of sample collection).
The new rules are valid also for tourists.