Italy opens borders to European tourists as coronavirus lockdown lifts
Italy has reopened its borders and lifted restrictions on domestic travel, offering some hope for the country’s vital tourism industry.
Travellers from within Europe will be able to enter Italy without going into quarantine from today. International flights will land at Milan, Naples and Rome airports.
Italy, which has reported more than 33,000 deaths related to Covid-19, was the first country in Europe to be hit hard by the coronavirus pandemic.
The country is now emerging from one of the world’s most rigid coronavirus lockdowns. Italy’s economy shrank 5.3 per cent in the first quarter of 2020, with some forecasts predicting a double-digit plunge this year.
Announcing the decision last month Italian prime minister Giuseppe Conte said the decision to lift the restrictions was a “calculated risk”.
However, he added: We’re facing this risk and we have to accept it because otherwise we will never get started again.”
Bars, restaurants and gyms in Italy reopened last month, while theatres and cinemas are expected to reopen later in June.
Meanwhile, the country’s Civil Protection Agency yesterday reported 55 new coronavirus-related deaths compared to 60 the day before.
The daily tally of new cases rose to 318 from 178 on Monday.
Italy’s total death toll due to coronavirus has reached 33,530, the third highest in the world after the US and UK.