Category: COVID-19

https://youtu.be/GO8j1cUmyLY

On Wednesday European Commission proposed to create a “Digital Green Certificate” to facilitate safe, unencumbered travel inside the EU during the COVID-19 pandemic, meant to save this summer.

The idea of a “Certificate” was  proposed by Greece, with the support of the  Mediterranean nations,  in order to unlock travel for the summer holidays on 2021.

A proof that a person has been either:
– vaccinated against COVID-19
– received a negative test result (RT-PCR)
or recovered from COVID-19 would be the “Digital Green Certificate”.

“With the Digital Green Certificate, we are taking a European approach to ensure EU citizens and their family members can travel safely and with minimum restrictions this summer,” Commissioner for Justice, Didier Reynders, said.

Digital Green Certificate will include a QR code to ensure security and authenticity of the certificate and it will be available – free of charge – in digital or paper format. The Commission will build a gateway to ensure all certificates can be verified across the EU, and support Member States in the technical implementation of certificates.

Non-discrimination

Commissioner Reynders highlighted that the Digital Green Certificate will not be a pre-condition to free movement and will not discriminate in any way.

Moreover, according to the Commission:

– All people – vaccinated and non-vaccinated – should benefit from a Digital Green Certificate when travelling in the EU. To prevent discrimination against individuals who are not vaccinated, the Commission proposes to create not only an interoperable vaccination certificate, but also COVID-19 test certificates and certificates for persons who have recovered from COVID-19.
– Same right for travellers with the Digital Green Certificate – where Member States accept proof of vaccination to waive certain public health restrictions such as testing or quarantine, they would be required to accept, under the same conditions, vaccination certificates issued under the Digital Green Certificate system. This obligation would be limited to vaccines that have received EU-wide marketing authorisation, but Member States can decide to accept other vaccines in addition.
– Notification of other measures – if a Member State continues to require holders of a Digital Green Certificate to quarantine or test, it must notify the Commission and all other Member States and explain the reasons for such measures.

To be ready before the summer, the Commission’s proposal for the Digital Green Certificate needs a swift adoption by the European Parliament and the Council.

Green Certificate to support free movement

EU Vice-President for Values and Transparency Vera Jourova said “The Digital Green Certificate offers an EU-wide solution to ensure that EU citizens benefit from a harmonized digital tool to support free movement in the EU”.

“This is a good message in support of recovery. Our key objectives are to offer an easy to use, non-discriminatory and secure tool that fully respects data protection. And we continue working towards international convergence with other partners.”

Written with information from:
GTP Headlines
GreekReporter

Fro more information about Digital Green Certificate:
European Union official web site
Euractiv

Due to COVID restrictions, all reservations – even those described as “Non Refundable”, that are scheduled for arrival on 2021, can be cancelled or postponed without any penalty or extra charge, for new reservation dates, for future accommodation, any time until the 31 December 2022.

Angela Epstein a  journalist from Independent is describing in his article about her Greek vacation experience in the days of the pandemic.

The author writes: “For millennia, the Greeks have aced hospitality (filoxenia). In fact the ancients had a word for it – FiloXenia – which rendered sacred the imperative to show a warm welcome to those visiting far from home. “

As she if filling very safe in Greece spending her vacation in Crete she descripes: “There are so many other measures to admire too: the taxi driver who told us the police would pull him over if we didn’t wear masks, and the temperature checks before we entered the hotel building – not only for ourselves but for the cab driver, even though he ventured no further than the courtyard. And, of course, the mandatory wearing of masks at all times indoors – not simply in shops.”

I wish I was still in Greece to offer answers on a postcard. Though perhaps the biggest question of all is, why did I come back so soon?

If you are interested in this, check the full article in the link below:

https://www.independent.co.uk/voices/greece-holiday-coronavirus-manchester-lockdown-face-masks-tests-travel-a9665186.html

2020 Season would start on the June 15, the day Greece will open welcoming back flights from abroad, as it was just announced (20/05/2020, 18:30)

Greek Prime Minster Kyriakos Mitsotakis had address the nation, announcing the plan to support economy, employment and tourism after the COVID-19 measurements.

“The transition from today’s uncertainty to tomorrow’s security is based on three pillars: employment support, tax cuts and boosting entrepreneurship,” he said.

Specifically referring to tourism business, the PM said “Greece’s 2020 season will begin on June 15th, coinciding with the date the country’s seasonal hotels will open their doors. Also Greece’s year-round hotels will open June 1st.

International flights will be welcoming from June 15th Greece,  initially only at Athens International Airport. Starting From July 1st, all Greek airports will be open to flights from abroad.

According to Mitsotakis, Greece’s visitors will undergo sample tests when required and must abide by the country’s general health protocols (that would be announced soon), which however “will not cast a shadow over our bright sun or natural beauty”.

It was announced that Greece’s incoming tourists will not need to have a COVID-19 test prior to travel nor will they be quarantined after arrival in order to enjoy their stay.

Minister of Tourism Theoharis has announced detail schedule for “Restart tourism” planning. As he said:

“Αuthorities will boost the healthcare capacity of several tourist destinations by providing tests and doctors, as well as an operational plan for the handling of possible infections (a hotel doctor, quarantine areas and transfer to a health facility).

Tourists will be allowed to enter Greece without taking a coronavirus test or remaining in quarantine when international flights restart on July 1, but health officials will conduct spot tests when required”

With information from: gov.gr & news.gtp.gr & ekathimerini.com
Photo credits: http://www.visitgreece.gr/en/downloads/wallpapers

Through Greek Parliament the Tourism Ministry had pass, on the 13^th of April, a legal clause allowing tourism enterprises to compensate their clients – individuals and tour operators – who have already made down payments for bookings that cannot be followed through due to restrictions in hotel operation and travel, with the issue of an 18-month open-date voucher.

That issue is of vital significance for tourism companies that are already facing liquidity problems. Albeit understandable, the demand by hotel customers for the return of deposits generates tension between them and the hoteliers.

Germany, Italy and other countries have already passed similar clauses,  with full compatibility with European law.

In practice, for a customer who may have booked a holiday for this Easter, this means that instead of having their money returned, they will get a voucher of the same value which they may use later on another trip.

This measure is considered a very important move toward saving the tourism industry in Greece as it eases the payment chain while offering a solution to consumers who may have booked their holidays some time ago so they do not lose their money.

Article based on: https://www.ekathimerini.com

Arcus suites commitment to you,
our guests, as we navigate through corona virus (covid-19) pandemic

We are actively monitoring the novel corona virus (COVID-19) updates from the World Health Organization and the Hellenic (Greek) Ministry of Health, and will continue to respond based on the best advice of governments, public health authorities and medical professionals.

In compliance with the Greek government measures, to stop the spread of the corona virus, all Greek lodges will remain temporarily closed until May 30th.

As it has always been, the safety and security of our guests and team members remains our highest priority. We are doing everything we can to ensure your travel safety and provide maximum flexibility as the situation around novel corona virus (COVID-19) continues to evolve.

If you have made a reservation until April 30th you can postpone it (according to availability) until the end of October of 2021 (18 months) without penalty or extra charge.

Your Travel Flexibility

We remain committed to offering you flexible booking options. Given these unique circumstances we are making additional adjustments to our individual booking policies to give you extra peace of mind:

Existing Reservations. All reservations – even those described as “non refundable” that are scheduled for arrival before 30 April 2020, can be postponed without any penalty or extra charge, for new reservation dates, for accommodation any time until the 31 December 2021 (21 months from today).

New Reservations. Any reservation you make, even those described as “non-refundable”, that are booked between today and 30 April 2020 for any future arrival date, can be changed or postponed at no charge up to 48 hours before your scheduled arrival.

All postponed reservations will be re-confirmed depending on our availability for the new dates.

Your Travel Safety

We take great pride in maintaining the highest standards of cleanliness and hygiene to ensure the health of our staff and guests, minimizing any risk. In response to the corona virus, we have taken additional measures developed in consultation with global and local public health authorities, including the World Health Organization and Hellenic (Greek) Ministry of Health, to make our cleaning and hygiene protocols even more rigorous:

• Our personnel are receiving ongoing briefings and enhanced operating protocols.
• All Housekeeping staff service and clean/sanitize guestrooms each day.
• All “high-touch” areas are now being treated with additional disinfectant/sanitizer on a daily basis (public door handles, etc).
• We will continue to adjust food and beverage service in accordance with current food safety recommendations.
• We have increased the deployment of antibacterial hand sanitizers.
• Hand sanitizer is available in the common areas for your use.
• Travel-sized bottles of hand sanitizer are available in each room. You are welcome to take these bottles with you.

In addition to the above, we remain available to answer any specific questions you may have.

Once again, thank you for choosing us.

Till then stay safe