Greece is launching its tourist season on Friday, with the return of freedom of movement following a seven-month lockdown, coinciding with Washington's announcement lifting the mask mandate for vaccinated Americans. Greek Tourism Minister Harry Theoharis declared at the opening of the tourist season on Thursday evening near the ancient Temple of Poseidon, “We leave behind the dark clouds of fear.” Travel restrictions between regions and to the islands have been lifted, along with the requirement for obtaining exit permission via text messages. Greek museums, which have been closed since November 7, are set to reopen on Friday. The only requirements to visit Greece, which heavily relies on tourism for its economy, are proof of vaccination or a negative COVID-19 test result.
To protect the islands, the Greek government has also initiated a vaccination campaign in preparation for the tourism season, particularly in the islands. The minister stated, “All the islands will be protected by the end of June. One third of the islands have been vaccinated.” Over 3.8 million people have received at least one dose of the vaccine in a country with a population of 11 million.
England is preparing to transition in a few days to a critical stage in lifting lockdown measures, reopening museums, hotels, and sports venues starting next Monday due to a clear decline in the spread of the coronavirus following an extensive lockdown and vaccination campaign. In Quebec, vaccination will be available to everyone starting Friday. In the United States, 35% of the population, equivalent to 117 million people, have been fully vaccinated either with the single-dose Johnson & Johnson vaccine or with two doses of the Moderna and Pfizer/BioNTech vaccines.
U.S. President Joe Biden announced from the White House garden, “If you are fully vaccinated, you no longer need to wear a mask!” His remarks came after eight players from the New York Yankees baseball team tested positive for COVID-19 despite being vaccinated. However, health authorities still advise vaccinated individuals to continue wearing masks in transportation modes such as planes, buses, and trains, as well as in airports and stations.
The United States, with over 584,000 deaths, is the country with the highest death toll in the pandemic, which has caused more than 3.3 million deaths globally, followed by Brazil with 430,000, India with over 258,000, Mexico (219,590), and the United Kingdom (127,640).
### Vaccine Shortages in India
In India, many states are facing a shortage of vaccines, limiting the ability to vaccinate around 600 million adults aged 18 to 44 who are now eligible for the vaccine. This developing country is calling for the lifting of vaccine patents to increase availability. In a positive development, China announced on Thursday its support for lifting patents on COVID-19 vaccines.
In Brazil, the first football match with spectators since March 2020 will take place on Sunday. Six thousand fans will be able to attend the final match of a football tournament in the state of Maranhão in northern Brazil, with stands filled to 15%. However, attendees must wear masks; otherwise, they will be ejected from the stadium.
