Thousands of Albanians frantically trying to get into Greece for work with a daily limit of 750 set lined up 12 miles long in cars at the Kakavia border crossing, worried that there would be more COVID-19 restrictions keeping them out.

Police said there were about 4,000 cars lined up filled with people who live and work in Greece, mostly in agriculture, and had gone to Albania for summer holidays and rushed to gt back into Greece over fears of tighter border controls, said Agence France-Presse (AFP) in a report.

Albanians will also have to have to present a negative COVID-19 test carried out within 72 hours of their arrival and self-isolate for seven days and will be tested at the border and must provide contact information in case it turns out they are infected.

Some cars were in line for three days, an Albanian police source not identified telling AFP that, "Greek health teams are working with a reduced number of staff" and that the border post is closed at night.

Albania's Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement that Greek authorities were trying to ease the logjam by increasing the number of tests from 200 to 300 per hour as Greek police showed images of offices handing out water to people in intense heat.

Albanian President Ilir Meta said he was "worried" about the situation as infections have been rising in his country, bringing worries that some of those returning to Greece, as have tourists, could bring COVID-19 with them, Greece's cases soaring during the pandemic.