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“It will be a very different summer. But we hope that the worst is behind us. Once again, what I consider the legacy of this crisis is the sense of collective success. And I dare to say the word pride. The Greeks have not felt proud for a long time, “Kyriakos Mitsotakis said in an interview with CNN and the network’s envoy in Athens, Nic Robertson.
Referring to the prospects for the tourist season, the Prime Minister noted: “At best, Greece will be open to tourism from July 1 and we are working in this direction. So we are preparing for that. But It is certainly related to airlines, as most people come to Greece by air. And it is also very strict and applicable protocols. “
Speaking to the network envoy in Athens, program host Julia Chatterley noted that “the swift measures taken by the government to save the blockade have saved lives,” adding: “The message is also that Greece will be ready for the period. summer vacation. “
“The new Prime Minister of Greece is not populist, like the previous one, he is a pragmatist and in this element (in pragmatism) he attributes his own success and the country’s success in managing COVID-19 so far. The fact of that they took measures for the blockade before there were even deaths in the country, “said the journalist in response to the Constitution, noting that total human losses in Greece are less than those recorded in other countries during one day.
He added: “I visited a hospital and the wings for COVID. There are still people in the Intensive Care Unit (ICU), but the vast majority of ICU beds are empty and the doctor in charge of the central hospital for COVID here in Athens He told me that no doctor, no nurse has been infected with the virus. And now it is perceived as a new norm around the world, that if it belongs to the front line medical and nursing staff, there is a very high probability of contracting this virus. It did not happen here in Greece. Why? Because the Prime Minister implemented a strong early closure and there was enough personal protective equipment for health workers. “
The full excerpt from the interview is as follows:
Nic Robertson: Greece’s economy is highly dependent on tourism, 20% or more depending on tourism. So opening means allowing tourists to come.
Kyriakos Mitsotakis: Not in the first stage. We no longer depend (on tourism) on countries like Portugal or, to a certain extent, Spain. All southern countries are highly dependent on tourism. Now the real question is whether we can have tourists later in the summer.
Nic Robertson: Can you?
Kyriakos Mitsotakis: Only if we agree to very specific protocols, let us wait at the European level. Suppose people take a test before flying (either an antibody test or a molecular test using the PCR method) and then close monitoring will be done. And then, of course, this summer’s tourist experience may be slightly different from what we had in previous years. Keeping your distance There may not be open bars, there may not be crowds, but you can still have a great experience in Greece as long as the global epidemic is on a downward spiral. But at best, Greece will be open to tourism from July 1, and we are working in that direction. So we are preparing for that. But it certainly is related to airlines, as most people come to Greece by air. And it is also related to very strict and applicable protocols.
Nic Robertson: Can you give us an idea of how much you think the financial loss might be, perhaps as a percentage?
Kyriakos Mitsotakis: I have avoided making predictions because (depending on evolution) things can be very different. I wouldn’t want to do a great evaluation, but of course things will be much worse if we don’t open anything (for foreign tourists) in the summer.
Nic Robertson: So we have to …
Kyriakos Mitsotakis: If we can welcome some tourists, things will improve. But as you know, there seems to be a consensus among most European countries as to what could happen, at a rate of around 10%, which is a huge reduction in activity.
Nic Robertson: It is going to be a very different summer, right?
Kyriakos Mitsotakis: It will be a really different summer. But we hope that the worst is behind us. Once again, what I consider the legacy of this crisis is the sense of collective success. And I dare say the word pride. The Greeks have not been proud for a long time. Because, you know, for ten years, we were the boxing bag for Europe.
Nic Robertson: Does that change things?
Kyriakos Mitsotakis: I think things have changed in terms of our trust, but also in terms of trust in the state. I don’t necessarily trust the government. But citizens trust the state. They trust the experts. The first thing I did was give the floor to our senior epidemiologist. And he does the daily updates. I don’t do them.
Nic Robertson: It seems, I dare say, that this is a very strong message for the United States, for the United Kingdom, whose performance against this pandemic is currently among the worst in terms of death and infection rates. *
Kyriakos Mitsotakis: Everyone does it their way. This is the way …
Nic Robertson: I know, but is there a right way and Greece has the right way?
Kyriakos Mitsotakis: I don’t think there is only one correct way. But I think we have made it very clear, at least in the first phase, until now, I think we have done it the right way.
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