Doctors screen Greek holiday islands for virus

Greek doctors have launched a COVID-19 testing drive on islands in the Aegean Sea ahead of the holiday season - using dinghies, a GPS, and a portable refrigerator.

The first round of testing was completed after trips to the islands of Milos, Kimolos, Folegandros, and Sikinos.

Greece opened up island travel on Monday and will start accepting international travelers on June 15, hoping that its low infection rates during the pandemic will attract holidaymakers from abroad.

Panagiotis Arkoumaneas, president of Greece's National Public Health Organization, said testing capability on the islands was being bolstered to make local residents feel safer when foreign tourists arrive.

"Our aim is to achieve faster intervention when it is needed, both by local residents and tourists," he said.

Capacity restrictions have been placed on ferry travel, while regional hospitals on the Greek islands are being given additional resources to create intensive care areas.

Many smaller islands, however, only have basic medical facilities and are being helped by local aid groups like Symplefsi, which provides dinghies and medical volunteers.

The group assisted doctors from a state-run health agency to carry out the testing at the islands including Sikinos, which is 30 kilometers (18 miles) northwest of Santorini and has a population of 260.

Sikinos' mayor Vasileios Marakis said he believed the island would "strike the right balance"  between safeguarding public health and getting tourism moving.

According to Greek Health Ministry data, the entire Cyclades island chain, which includes Milos as well as the popular holiday destinations of Paros, Naxos, Mykonos, and Santorini, accounts for only four of the country's total reported cases.

Greece has had a relatively low number of coronavirus cases, with just under 3,000 people infected and 173 deaths.