Santorini installs perspex screens around sun loungers to help tourists keep their distance

The popular island of Santorini in Greece has started to install Perspex screens around sun loungers in preparation for an influx of tourists.

The Plexiglass screens have been put in place around lounge chairs to make sure tourists keep their distance from one another.

The Greek Island is the first to put them in place, and they could be rolled out at resorts in Italy and Spain.

They have been installed at popular Perissa beach on the island – with one plexiglass screen per two sunbeds and a four-metre distance per lounge.

Beach bar owner Charlie Chahine said: “We hope these constructions you see are not going to be the future for beaches.

“We don't want this, but if this is necessary, and if this is what people's safety depends on, such a construction or any such construction - we [just] want to work, we want to get going."

Greece has been one of the European success stories of the coronavirus pandemic - they locked down hard at the start of the outbreak and have only recorded 155 deaths.

Perspex screens are now a familiar sight at supermarket check-outs and pharmacies across the UK to protect workers and customers from the spread of the virus.

Social distancing measures and shields in place at a Boots store in Bristol. Credit: PA

Pret has installed Perspex screens at tills, as has McDonald’s Drive-Thrus - the fast food chain said 30 sites will be re-opened from next week.

Garden centres, which opened their doors for the first time on Wednesday, have installed Perspex shields to protect till staff.

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