Greece has fared better than richer countries during the pandemic due to investments in health infrastructure and an early border closure, the country’s prime minister said on Tuesday.

The EU member state has managed to avoid the full effect of the first wave of the pandemic, Kyriakos Mitsotakis told an online health security conference.

He admitted that it was not possible to avoid the impact of the second outbreak. “Yet the government has invested in its national health system and has fared better than richer countries,” he said.

Mitsotakis noted that the delays in the vaccination rollout were due “at EU level”, but added that he felt “proud that the EU has managed to procure vaccines on behalf of all its states. members “.

He said Greece’s financial crisis over the past decade has made the country more resilient. “Greece has been through a lot in previous years, but our democracy has emerged stronger. “

The prime minister added that Greece had a plan for the safe reopening of its tourism sector, using self-diagnostic tests and digital vaccination certificates.

The country’s parliament on Tuesday passed a bill introducing a digital Covid-19 certificate by a large majority.

Greece recorded 1,339 new infections on the same day, according to the National Public Health Organization.

Since the start of the pandemic, Greece has recorded more than 400,000 infections and recorded more than 12,000 deaths.

The country will soon be included in the UK’s “green list” of destinations where travel is permitted, UK Ambassador Kate Smith told a webinar on tourism.

Greece is now on the “orange list”, which means that the British are not advised to go there.

If they do, passengers must pay for at least three Covid-19 tests – before they fly, and two and eight days after – and must quarantine themselves upon their return for 10 days, unless they also pay. a fourth test to get out earlier.