ATHENS (Reuters) – Greece reported 262 new cases of COVID-19 on Wednesday, its highest daily tally since the start of the coronavirus outbreak in the country.
The latest jump in cases brings the total number of infections in Greece to 6,177 since its first case surfaced in late February. There have been 216 deaths recorded.
Of the new cases, 85 were registered in the northern Greek city of Thessaloniki and 66 in the capital Athens.
The increase in infections in recent weeks has prompted authorities to gradually introduce more restrictions during the peak of the tourism season.
From Aug. 17, visitors arriving from Sweden, Belgium, Spain, the Netherlands and the Czech Republic will need proof they have tested negative for the novel coronavirus to gain entry. The test cannot be older than 72 hours prior to arrival.
The same requirement will apply to all visitors entering Greece via land borders. A negative test is already required for passengers arriving with a flight connection from Bulgaria, Romania, the United Arab Emirates and Malta.
Civil aviation authorities on Wednesday extended a ban to flights from Turkey until Aug. 31 and restricted flights from Albania and North Macedonia to Athens airport only.
(Reporting by Renee Maltezou; Editing by Chris Reese/Mark Heinrich)
