The Greek Coast Guard will launch a program of extensive systematic checks on ferries regarding the imposed health protocols and the restrictions measures against the coronavirus. The program will be launched as of Friday, June 19, 2020.
The checks will be held throughout the trip by Coast Guard teams that will be on board the ferries.
The aim of he checks is the full implementation of the restriction measures by the crew and the passengers in a period that the passengers traffic is increasing and it expected to increase further with the gradual arrival of tourists to Greece.
“The protection of the islanders’ health as well as of the passengers and the crews was and continues to be our top priority,” stated Shipping and Island Policy Minister Yannis Plakiotakis on Thursday.
“We want and can have safe trips with ferries to the islands without any coronavirus incidents” he underlined. [amna]
PS This is high time, because I have heard of some cases where passengers do not wear mask etc.
More than welcome, & it should apply to ALL boats travelling between the islands, not only ferries – last week I travelled between Paxos & Corfu for a medical checkup & would say at most 25% of the passengers wore masks, also from the crew (of about 8) only 2 wore masks & one of those had it under his chin most of the trip! Passengers without masks were allowed to board with no problem at all, some boarded with masks & during the trip removed them! Distancing was almost non-existant & none of the crew made any effort to enforce it. There were no checks made by the port authorites in Paxos or Corfu on departure or arrival, they were nowhere to be seen!!
people from the Islands don t live in fear, by the looks of it. and that is quit healthy ! wearing a mask the whole day is not good for your breathing, people may experience a slight headage as a side affect. especially the active crewmembers and other people. Wear a mask and disposable gloves if you like.
live and let live ! Have a nice summer.
Nobody needs to wear a mask ‘the whole day’, of course not – but inside the boat, in enclosed spaces where distancing is difficult, don’t you think it is the responsibility of us all to protect our fellow passengers? Especially those in high risk groups? What happened to respecting each other’s health? Surely a ‘slight headache’ is manageable compared to spreading a potentially fatal virus to small islands with extremely limited medical services?
If you are not willing to respect other people’s health, please don’t selfishly sail your flotillas between the islands!
Live responsibly & respectfully to let live!!
Did you ever give it a thought that there may be a shortcoming masks and not all people can afford a mask.
Please look at things from a different angle. If you are too afraid don’t travel or wear a mask. That’s simple as it is.11
Please, masks are not expensive & they are easily available now. They are also simple to make yourself, you do not have to use a medical standard type.
Why should I not travel just because other people will not behave responsibly or respectfully? In my case I had to travel for medical reasons, not a vacation – should I not bother or care about my health now because others are too selfish to make an effort?
I am not ‘afraid to travel’ as you put it & I do wear a mask, all I ask is that other people respect the regulations that are designed to benefit ALL of us – the danger of an outbreak on any of the small islands is too great, simply for the sake of making a tiny effort when travelling.
The wearing of masks is a political decision and poorly related to medical need. Its principal effect is to reduce the possibility of infection from the wearer: it provides very little protection for anyone wearing it.
Until very recently, the medical opinion was that masks were not recommended for the general public. There are many reasons for that, and prime amongst them is that they are extremely unpleasant to wear for extended periods and even dangerous in some cases.
If it is not safe to travel then nobody should be travelling. There should be no tourism until the virus is under control.