Covid alert for UK tourists going to Greece, Portugal and Cyprus

Tourists heading to Europe this summer have been warned about Covid outbreaks in a number of tourist hotspots. Greece’s national health authority reported an increase in Covid cases this week – three times higher than the same week last year, with 669 people hospitalised.

The number of detected infections doubled in one week in Greece. Cases also doubled in Cyprus, Belgium and Ireland.

Greece’s hospital union says Covid admissions will continue to rise and masks have now been brought back to some hospitals around Athens. As well as cases in the capital, there has also been a sharp rise in cases in northern Greece, with the elderly and vulnerable being urged to seek help if they have Covid symptoms.

Malta has seen an almost 400% increase in Covid cases in recent months, according to the World Health Organization, with a similar increase in Luxembourg.

There were also significant increases in Portugal, the Netherlands, Poland and Norway. In Portugal, the number of registered cases increased by 700% between May and June and reached 10,000 in July.

It comes as cases also rise in the UK, with almost 18,000 new infections detected despite not being routinely tested.

The World Health Organization has issued a stark warning to those planning summer holidays, urging them to take precautions against Covid-19, such as getting vaccinated, wearing masks and getting tested. The WHO has stressed that the pandemic is far from over, with the virus still claiming 1,700 lives globally each week.

Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, the director-general of the WHO, expressed concern about declining vaccination coverage among people over 60 and health workers – two groups particularly vulnerable to the severe effects of Covid.

In the UK, some hospitals have reinstated mandatory mask wearing, while others are advising people with Covid symptoms who do not require medical care to stay at home. Meanwhile, in France, the Tour de France has made mask-wearing mandatory for anyone interacting with competitors or teams following several cases of Covid.

The WHO continues to advise travelers to wear well-fitting masks, maintain hand hygiene, get tested for Covid-19 symptoms before travelling, and consider staying home if unwell. Although most countries and airlines no longer require vaccination, the WHO’s main advice is to make sure the vaccine is up to date before travelling.

The latest Covid symptoms include fatigue, sore throat, congestion, runny nose, headache, body aches and cough – similar to symptoms seen earlier in the pandemic. While loss of taste and smell has become less common, some individuals may experience conjunctivitis (pink eye) or gastrointestinal problems such as nausea, vomiting, and diarrhea, although these are less common.

Symptoms are generally milder for most people because of pre-existing immunity from previous vaccinations or infections. A new wave of cases has been driven in the UK and globally by the emergence of new variants – called FLiRT and FLuQE. UK hospitals are witnessing an influx of Covid patients as wards become increasingly busy.

The UK Foreign Office has issued new advice for those traveling abroad, saying: “Other countries may still have Covid-19 rules that you need to follow to travel there from the UK.”

In addition, they advised travelers to “Check the ‘Entry Requirements’ section of overseas travel advice for all countries you will be visiting or traveling through”.