The Health Ministry in Greece has requested the assistance of the local law enforcement authorities against fraud.
According to the relevant government authority, some culprits are going around in an attempt to scare off tourists.
As a result, visitors are leaving their apartments located in Athens, especially due to the apparently false accusations of their residences being infested with bedbugs.
The Health Ministry
In a statement released by the Health Ministry, it stated that posters outside various apartment buildings, which are located in the city center, had a fake logo of the authority.
It went on to say that the same was true for the municipality in Athens, which resulted in the false claims of the bedbugs being made in the first place.
The posters claimed that the relevant health authorities in the country had issued an order for local private guesthouses to be evacuated at the earliest.
Consequently, the posters alleged that this was a necessary step to protect the public health.
They further noted that the reason given for the immediate evacuations was bedbug infestations and that tenants who did not comply with this order would have to pay a fine of up to €500.
Housing problem
As of now, Athens and several other areas in Greece are suffering from housing problems and the living costs are high as it is.
The housing problem has been further exacerbated by the proliferation of numerous short-term rental accommodations throughout that are often rented out to international visitors.
The country generates a significant amount of its income from the travel and tourism sector.
Specifically, the industry accounts for a large chunk of the economy of Greece and one-fifth of its yearly income.
In addition, this year has been especially crucial for tourism in the country, as it is expected that arrivals will soon hit a new record.
For this reason, the Health Ministry has requested help from police authorities in addressing this hoax.
It noted that no one is permitted to misinform and terrorize the public, especially where matters of public health are concerned.
Bedbugs
Earlier in the year, bedbug infestations were reported in France, which created a significant amount of panic amongst the locals and foreign visitors.
However, Greece has not reported any issues where the insects are concerned.
Back when France was dealing with this problem, the transport minister, Clement Beaune, had urged travelers and locals to remain calm.
He had gone on to deny any claims of there being an outbreak of bedbugs in the different types of public transportation.
On the other hand, social media users had reported instances of there being various sightings and experiences in public transport in Paris with said infestations.
As a result, the Paris City Halls requested the authorities to take action on the matter and wrote a letter to the Prime Minister of France, Elisabeth Borne.
The letter claimed that bedbugs are a public health problem and should be dealt with in an appropriate manner. It urged the State to deploy an action plan to deal with the issue at the earliest.
