Month: May 2021

Lockdown Lifts with Limitations

Today is the day Greece seriously starts to emerge from a lockdown that started on 7 November 2020, nearly 7 long months ago. From today we no longer have to send SMSes or carry permits every time we leave the house. We don’t have to make appointments to go shopping. We can even stay out until midnight! The curfew remains but it is now from half past midnight until 5 a.m.

There are still restrictions on movement however. In order to travel between regions, particularly between the mainland and the islands and within the islands, one must either have a vaccination certificate, a negative PCR test or a rapid test. The airlines and ferry companies have been charged with controlling this and this applies to Greek residents and foreign tourists alike. The reason for this is that up to now the islands have remained relatively unscathed – and the islands have minimal medical facilities, particularly in terms of Covid-19 ICU wards and respirators. Kalymnos is an example of what happens when the virus gets a grip on a small community.

Although many islanders have been vaccinated the government is playing it safe for the foreseeable future as it will take a while for full immunity. Many travellers will have some form of vaccination pass by the summer. For those who don’t, the testing requirements certainly complicate island-hopping holidays and it makes sense to spend holiday time on only one or two islands to minimise the number of tests required to move between destinations.

Masks are still mandatory, both indoors and outside, and social distancing is still a requirement. There are still limits to how many people at a taverna or cafe table (6 at time of writing) and only outdoor seating is permitted (no hardship now that temperatures are in the 30s). The ban on all music in venues of all kinds remains at least until the end of May.

Here on Symi, speaking to random business owners, there is no rush to get started. The summer season on Symi has started late in recent years, even before the pandemic, and places like beach tavernas normally only aim to start operation in June anyway. Most of the taxi boats are back in the water now but the operator I spoke to said he would only start operations at the end of the month. Basically, until Rhodes starts to fill up with tourists and the day excursion boats begin, there is little traffic in the harbour to warrant opening up tourist shops and lunch-time dining. Hotels likewise are looking at June to open their doors.

No one really knows what is happening in terms of tourist arrivals on Symi. Many of the island’s usual visitors at this time of the year come from the UK. Unfortunately Greece, and most of the EU, is on the Amber list on for British tourism.

While Greece is open to receive tourists from most countries, the countries of origin are making it complicated – and expensive in terms of mandatory testing – for their nationals to travel abroad for their holidays. This is stalling advance bookings and also makes international holidays prohibitive for many families and couples. Germany, one of Greece’s main markets, has only just lifted the requirement for returnees to go into quarantine. TUI is optimistic but it will take a while for this to translate into bodies on sunbeds in seaside resorts and, in the case of Symi, day-trippers from Rhodes.

We shall see what this evening’s further government announcements bring.

May Postcards from Symi

Symi is emerging from hibernation now that the lockdown is starting to ease. Here are some photographs I took while out and about in the harbour early yesterday morning. As you can see, it is not exactly bustling but preparations are underway for a tentative start to the summer season which, in theory at least, starts on 15 May 2021. There is a lot that still needs to be clarified in terms of who is allowed to do what and there have been some very unpopular statements by politicians on Greek daytime TV suggesting, among other things, that while tourists will literally have the freedom of the country, the local residents will be sending SMSes for permits in perpetuity and that inter-regional travel will only be permitted with vaccination certificates or negative Covid-19 test results. This is fighting talk and governments have been hung out to dry for less so we shall see what the next few days bring.

In the meantime, here are some pictures to whet your appetite.

The last is, of course, Katsaras in Pedi

PCR testing facilities in Rhodes

Information regarding PCR tests on Rhodes.

Many of you are likely to require PCR tests before you fly home from your Greek holiday this year, particularly if you are still waiting to be vaccinated. At present time there are no PCR testing facilities for tourists on Symi. Here are the contact details of some places you can contact in Rhodes to book your test. There are, no doubt, others, but these are places suggested by people who have travelled recently.

Please note, I am only offering this information as a guideline. It is up to you to find out if you need to do this or not as the situation changes daily from country to country. You will also need to check if you need to book your test in advance and how long it will take to receive the results before your flight home.

It is useful to know that the Greek government capped the price of a PCR test at 60 euros so no clinic or testing facility can charge you more than this.

  1. Life Check, Amerikis Street. 22410 23341
  2. Euromedica Private clinic (this is out of town)
  3. Krito Clinic 3 Metaxa Street 22410 30020
  4. MedExams Agios Nikolaos Square 22410 39005

Safe journey and we hope to see you on Symi this summer!

Suddenly it is Summer

Greek Easter and the May Day holiday combined into one great celebration this year and as there are also strikes on 4 and 6 May to make up for May Day falling on Easter Saturday and all the George’s celebrating their name day today as St George’s Day fell during Lent this year there isn’t much work being done. Unless, of course, you own a cafe, taverna or restaurant, in which case it is a mad scramble to the starting gate.

The government announced last week that cafes, tavernas and restaurants are allowed to open from today, albeit within certain constraints involving social distancing, permits, self-testing and the like. There has been a flurry of activity as those who can deploy quickly are trying to catch some of the Rhodians who have come over to visit their families on Symi for the Easter holidays. Although travel between regions still remains prohibited, travel between municipalities within the same prefecture was permitted for the Easter holidays and we saw a veritable cavalcade of Rhodians come off the Blue Star on Wednesday and Friday evenings.

Photographed last week, when the news came out that they would be able to open from 3 May.

Technically the lockdown continues until 15 May, the date put forward for the official opening of international tourism in Greece. For the moment we still have to send SMSes or have paper permits to be out of our homes. (Tavernas, cafes and restaurants are code 6 – the same as for exercise.) Masks are still mandatory. Social distancing likewise. There is still a curfew in place, from 11 p.m to 5 a.m. It is not clear when clubs and other potentially more congested places will be allowed to open and there is also a ban on all kinds of music, both live and recorded, so that people are not shouting to be heard above the sound of it or leaning close to each other to speak and hear.

The weather has turned very hot and dry. Looking back through my diary, the last time we had any significant rain was 11 March, nearly 2 months ago. Temperatures are in the high twenties and low thirties. The flowers in the valley are fading fast and it is only toughest, most drought-hardy plants that are still putting on a show.

A big new supermarket has opened near the clock tower and police station in the harbour, where the Hellenic Duty Free and Amara Supermarket used to be. It is part of a small chain from Karpathos.

That’s all for now but you may be sure that there will be more changes to rules and regulations as we approach 15 May and I shall do my best to keep you up-dated.