Tourism minister seeks to appease British visitors, authorities

Greece’s Tourism Minister Haris Theocharis tried to appease the British public and authorities about the spread of the coronavirus in Greece on Wednesday, telling BBC Radio that the government is doing everything possible to ensure that the country remains an attractive destination with a low rate of contagion.

“We’re taking specific targeted measures where we see specific concentrations of cases – measures that have been successful and have been working in the past few days,” Theocharis told Radio 4’s “Today” program.

He went on to note that coronavirus cases in Greece remain far below the European Union average in proportional terms and the UK threshold of 20 cases per 100,000 residents per week, above which British authorities impose restrictions. 

The Greek minister further noted that health authorities were introducing targeted measures in areas where there is a higher concentration of cases while also conducting comprehensive tracking.

Greece ranks fifth in Europe in terms of the number of Covid-19 tests, he remarked.