Greek health authorities have confirmed that they are fully aligned with the latest guidance from the European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) regarding Ebola, emphasizing that the risk to Europe remains low despite increased international vigilance.
The decision was taken during a meeting of the scientific committee of Greece’s National Public Health Organization (EODY), which reviewed developments surrounding the virus as part of ongoing epidemiological surveillance and preparedness efforts.
In line with the ECDC’s assessment, Greek experts consider the risk to European citizens living in affected regions to be low, and even lower for those residing elsewhere in Europe. As a result, neither Greece nor European health authorities are currently expected to adopt the stricter measures recently introduced by the United States.
US Tightens Entry Controls
The United States announced enhanced health screening measures following a confirmed Ebola case involving a US citizen in the Democratic Republic of the Congo.
Among the measures announced by the US Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) are restrictions on the entry of foreign nationals who have traveled within the previous 21 days to Uganda, the Democratic Republic of the Congo or South Sudan.
By contrast, European authorities continue to assess the overall risk as limited and have not issued comparable travel restrictions.
Monitoring Continues
Greek officials noted that there are no direct flights to Greece from the affected regions. Authorities said that, if similar travel measures were ever considered, the absence of direct air links would make the identification and monitoring of travelers entering the country more complex.
EODY is expected to hold another meeting on Friday as health officials continue to monitor developments and review preparedness measures.
