Italy’s government has signed a decree that will allow travel to and from the country from June 3, as it moves to ease lockdown measures.
The country has also announced that it will also allow travel between the regions – which has, up to now, been tightly restricted – from the same day.
The move marks a major step in the country’s efforts to reopen the country’s economy following more than two months of lockdown.
Italy has one of the highest death tolls in the world, but its infection rate has fallen sharply in recent days.
The government’s plans follow a decree which was signed by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte.
Certain travel may still be limited based on disease risks, which will be evaluated on a case-by-case basis. People who have tested positive for Covid-19 will still remain under strict quarantine orders.
The travel ban lifts the day after Italy’s Republic Day, likely preventing mass travel over a long holiday weekend.
The country’s infection rate has fallen sharply in recent days. Despite calls for a quick reopen, Conte said that a gradual return to normality can help to prevent a second wave of infections.
According to the decree, all sectors of the economy which are still shut can reopen in June, as long as proper safety guidelines, social distancing and hygiene rules are adhered to. Health officials plan to closely monitor reopening in order to limit further infections.
Before coronavirus took the USA by storm, Italy – the first in Europe to detect Covid-19 - was rated as the country with the highest rate of infection in the world.
It currently has the fifth-highest number of confirmed infections in the world and the third-highest death toll, behind the U.S. and the U.K.
