Almost half of the Greek attribute the second wave of the pandemic to the opening of tourism in summer practically without restrictions. In a survey conducted by MRB on behalf of STAR TV on major issues regarding the pandemic, half of the Greeks said also that they will be vaccinated against Covid-19, while the majority also believe that the virus can be transmitted through the Holly Communion
Main reason for 2, wave: 48.4% imported infections 42.8% non compliance with protection measures 39.6% crowding in public transport means. 29.6% crowding in catering and entertainment, 24.6% delay in taking measures 21.5% sudden relaxation of measures (1. lockdown)
Note: I suppose respondents could give multiple answers to this question.
Will you get Covid-19 vaccine? 28.6% Certainly Yes and 23.5% Rather Yes. 16.7% Certainly No and 21% Rather No.
The largest percentage of citizens who said they were positive about the vaccine is 55 years old and over.
Does the Holy Communion transmit the Coronavirus? 48% Certainly Yes and 19.7% Rather Yes. 6.5% Rather No and 15.2% Certainly No. 10.6% Don’t Know/Don’t Answer.
Tourism Minister Haris Theoharis dismissed the claim that the tourism was to blame for the second wave. Speaking to state broadcaster ERT, Theoharis said that “2020 was an extremely difficult year. The government had to balance between its health obligations towards the citizens and the gradual opening of the Greek economy. The opening of the economy, of course, includes the opening of tourism.”
Praising the “safe opening of tourism” and the “implemented health protocols” he said that 6 million tourists visited the country and “our guests left with the best of impressions.”
He stressed that “fears of an early second wave in the summer with the arrival of tourists have been dispelled. It is clear that the opening of tourism is not responsible for the second wave of the pandemic.”
Chart: Confirmed Covid-19 cases February – August.
In the same line, the Transport Minister Costas Karamanlis had several times said that “crowding in public transport means” is not to blame for the virus spread in urban centers. He did not cite any scientific survey to confirm his claim, and just two days ago he announced the ordering of 1,300 new buses.
In this sense, the government and citizens leave in two different worlds, its side sees different causes for the second pandemic. The government that has the upper hand insists that it is the citizens and the “personal responsibility” to blame for the second wave and possibly also for the shortage of ICU beds and the thousands of hospitalizations that put immense pressure on the health system. And as a minister said “If we had 5,000 ICUs, we’d have also more deaths.”
And you? What do you think? What is the reason for the second pandemic wave?
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There is absolutely no doubt that tourism has lead to this huge spike. YES HELLAS needs the $$$ but does HELLAS need the $$$ SO much as to see so many suffer, so many die?
And Church, streuth, Holy Communion IS a danger. Ask any honest doctor.
Have you done any reliable research on this subject? Before uttering your opinion about the cause of the infection spike, you should first check reliable sources instead of your own made-up ideas. It’s because of people like you, that the world is drowning in fake news.
No chance. The measures put into place were done in time to stop mass tourism. Yes the country suffered the financial loss but the additional cases were not down to tourists. The additional cases were down to people not accepting that its anything to do with “me”. And of course “they “are trying to control us.
Greeks always like to blame foreigners for everything that goes wrong in their country, but in fact it’s usually all of their own making….
I think travel has been the main contributor, so yes tourism – but Greek tourism. For weeks and weeks we’ve seen Attica and Thessaloniki contributing well over 50% of the total Greek infections every day. Why people from these areas were permitted to travel elsewhere in Greece is beyond me. This in my view is where the bulk of the infections have come from. Failure to properly comply with the measures in place has just made that worse. The consistently low rate of detections at the country’s borders shows that tourism from abroad was not the major factor in the second wave.
None of the above !!
Interesting, Steve! Please, share your opinion!
Ganz deiner Meinung. Ich war im Oktober auf Santorini. Keine Küsse. Keine Umarmungen mit meinem griechischen Freunden und Freundinnen. Alles sehr distanziert.
All the factors in the poll contribute. The virus spreads when people mix together. All the items listed cause people to mix together more. External tourism brings in new seed cases that then spread among the endemic population. Greeks moving from high infection areas to low infection areas take the disease with them. On Crete there were no new cases for almost 1 month towards the end of the first lockdown. During the peak tourist season cases started to rise again. Where did the new cases come from? From external tourists and from Greek tourists from the mainland.
Nobody will admit responsibility. If you are a taverna/café owner there is no evidence that the virus spreads in tavernas/cafés. If you are a retail shop owner there is no evidence that the virus spreads in retail shops. If you are Minister of Tourism there is no evidence tourists cause increased spread. If you are Transport Minister transport is completely safe. In reality all these activities cause it to spread.