positive COVID protocol
 

Hello! I am planning a trip to Greece for myself and my 21 year-old son in May 2021. I understand the requirements for entry into Greece. I am fully vaccinated; my son is not. My question is: if he should contract COVID while in Greece and test positive for return flight, what is the protocol? I have read that he would be separated from me and placed in a state hospital - which is definitely a deal breaker for this trip. Can anyone help with this question before I cancel the trip? Thanks.

I believe you must provide a negative test or documentation of recovery from COVID-19 before boarding a flight to the United States. You could probably delay your flight to remain with your son. Here is the CDC page on the topic:
https://www.cdc.gov/coronavirus/2019...ir-travel.html

Here is something from the Healthcare in Greece paragraph in GOV.UK on what happens if you test positive before a flight in Greece, which suggests you may be allowed to quarantine in your hotel room. Although the website is for UK travellers, the rules for US travellers are probably the same:
”If you are tested and the result is positive, the Greek authorities will ask you to quarantine until advised otherwise. You may be able to remain in your existing accommodation, or be required to transfer into a state hospital or other government-provided accommodation.”
https://www.gov.uk/foreign-travel-ad...ce/coronavirus

Unfortunately those are the risks when travelling during a Covid pandemic.

Donna, He can get a vaccine now if in the US.

Good point, Macross!

Donna, where are you from?

I doubt your son would be required to quarantine in a state hospital unless suffering severe Covid symptoms. Most likely you would quarantine in your hotel, or the Greek government would find other hotel accommodations for you.

I am from the United States. He is not willing to vaccinate at this time. We are staying in an Airbnb which I'm sure is rented behind us. I'm a little leery of staying in government found hotel - surely it would be in a safe area?

You may not be able to stay with him if he contracts COVID while you are away, particularly if he was hospitalised. If your son, or both of you, were put in accommodation chosen by the Greek government, the area would be the least of your problems. I know where we live, people can't just come and go, it's called quarantine for a reason.

Also have you checked if your travel insurance covers medical and other assistance in the event of COVID? Greek hospitals or healthcare may not be what you are used to and there is, of course, the language barrier. I'm not sure reading information on websites from the US or UK government is all that helpful, the Greek government will have their own rules. Do they also test passengers on arrival in Greece?

The US Embassy Athens website was updated yesterday (April 19th). Check the Entry and Exit Requirements paragraph in:
https://gr.usembassy.gov/covid-19-information/

You needn’t worry about the location of a government found hotel, as according to quarantine regulations you wouldn’t be allowed to leave until the quarantine period is over. Greece is a very safe country, and even the dodgy areas in Athens aren’t all that bad. There are some parts of Athens I wouldn’t care to wander around at night, but that applies to any large city in the world.

Your son should reconsider getting the vaccination, especially if he plans to travel internationally. While Greece has a fairly low Covid infection rate, some other EU countries whose citizens will be travelling there this summer do not, and the EU is very slow in providing vaccinations to its citizens.

"He is not willing to vaccinate at this time"
I think we all have a personal responsibility to other humans to not risk spreading this disease (when I was in Greece, my landlord was elderly--I would no more put him at risk than my own grandfather). I don't think you should travel with someone who would put himself at risk, put others at risk, and cause you untold misery and stress were he to get sick himself (not to mention the financial repercussions).
You divulged this information, so I hope you do not take offense at people offering advice based on that detail. We are all here to share travel advice, and sometimes the advice is less about travel and more about confirming what you already know--this is a bad decision.

FYI: Many people are waiting for the vaccine to be FDA approved. As I said, he is not willing to vaccinate "at this time". Also, he tested positive for the antibodies. I am just asking for information about the protocol for "what if" - myself included. Even vaccinated, I could still test positive.

This is why I won’t be traveling internationally or really anywhere on a plane until at least 2022. I’m also surprised that adults coming from the US are being let into any other country without proof of vaccination. I mean we’re in the middle, maybe late middle of a unprecedented global pandemic and millions have died.

Moderna should have full FDA approval in two days.

I have read several accounts of people who tested positive in other countries and how their quarantine went. Of course, it is likely we hear only about the ones that were unpleasant, but some have certainly not gone well. We have not seen one of our daughters in over a year now because we cannot risk exposure by someone carrying the virus and quarantine is for two weeks in that country’s choice of location at the traveler’s expense. We finally have our shots, but many countries do not even have them available yet. I assume you know all about the possibility of false positives and false negatives. Those tests do not seem that reliable right now. You need info specific for Greece and the time you are going. It will be interesting to know what you learn.

The State Department issued a new travel advisory today raising the travel advisory for Greece to a Level 4: Do Not Travel due to Covid-19. I would cancel, particularly if your son is not fully vaccinated.

Weird to see certain posts removed about the vaccine issue. Are there places in the world where vaccine use is political?

Tell the boy to man-up and get the shot.

you also could test positive for covid as well so you need to consider that as well.

Seriously, did not mean to start such a sh**storm. In hindsight, I should have left out our vaccination status. None of anyone's business. I just had a question, hopefully for a local, about what the government protocol is for someone who tests positive. Pretty simple...pretty basic.

Edward2005, my son is not a boy - he is a man. Hide behind a login name and insult people - aren't you impressive?

Respectfully, I think you’re going to find most people on this travel site are going to be pretty vocal about getting a vaccine. The world will not open up for travel if the world does not get vaccinated.

The world will not open up for travel if the world does not get vaccinated.

Yep, that pretty much sums it up.