(TAN): Italy has reopened its borders to tourists from the European Union and Schengen Area three months after the country went into absolute lockdown because of COVID-19.
The country lifted its international travel restrictions earlier this week, and said visitors arriving in Italy from most of Europe will not be required to quarantine themselves for 14 days, reports said.
People travelling to Italy from the 26 European Union member states, and Iceland, Liechtenstein, Norway, Switzerland, the United Kingdom, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino and Vatican City will be exempt from “sanitary surveillance and fiduciary isolation” for a fortnight, “unless they have stayed in different countries in the 14 days prior to entry into Italy”.
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Italy, one of the hardest hit by the pandemic, reportedly imposed Europe’s severest and one of the world’s strictest lockdowns. So far, 233,836 people have been infected in the country of which more than 33,600 have died, data from Johns Hopkins University showed. Italy’s coronavirus death count has been the highest after the United States and the United Kingdom.
Restaurants and historic attractions were closed while several hotels were utilised for caring for COVID-19 patients, as per reports. The country reportedly began easing lockdown restrictions in mid-April, and last month, locals were allowed to go out and visit people while observing physical distancing measures.
Beaches, restaurants and cafes gradually reopened over the past couple of weeks in time for the arrival of summer tourists, reports said. The European nation reopened to tourists despite being criticised for a “premature” opening as it hopes to revive its tourism industry. The sector, which was battered by the pandemic, accounts for 13% of the country’s Gross Domestic Product.
“We’re facing a calculated risk in the knowledge that the contagion curve may rise again. We have to accept it otherwise we will never be able to start up again,” Italy’s Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte was quoted by People as saying.
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Many of the European countries that called Italy’s move premature, would open on June 15 or later, reports said.
According to reports, the country has also lifted restrictions on movement between regions. International flights could resume in three cities – Milan, Rome and Naples.
Italy’s Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio expressed his disapproval over other countries treating Italy “like a leper”, as per reports. He reportedly said he would soon visit Germany, Slovenia and Greece to talk about the real situation in Italy and encourage them to send tourists to the country.
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