Come summer and Italy will re-open its borders to tourists after months of a rigorous lockdown. Travelling in and out of the country will now be permitted from June 3. The move also does away with the 14-day quarantine that was mandatory earlier. The citizens can also travel within the country after the lockdown measures were eased, which earlier prevented them from moving outside their region.
Italy underwent one of the most rigid and earliest lockdowns owing to the global pandemic. The country was also among those with one of the highest number of COVID-19 positive patients and deaths. However, with a decreasing number of cases, Italy is now opening up its internal borders next month for non-essential travel.
Bars, restaurants and shops will be opening up today. Meanwhile other economic activities will open up on June 3, with social-distancing norms in place. Gyms, swimming pools, hair salons and beaches in the country are also set to open up, however, with fewer people accessing them and following social distancing norms at all times.
The announcement came from the government after Italy saw the lowest number of coronavirus-related deaths. With summer arriving soon, the move has also been undertaken in a bid to revive tourism, a sector that contributes significantly to the country's economy. Italy closed its borders for all tourists in March.