Italy has announced that it will drop all entry requirements for tourists from Wednesday June 1, in what will be a major boost for the tourism industry that is badly in need of a pick-me-up.
This means that people can travel to the popular holiday destination regardless of their vaccine status, and passengers will not need to show proof of Covid recovery or a recent negative test for the virus either.
Italy follows some 19 other EU or EEA countries that have dropped all entry requirements for foreign travel, with the likes of Austria, Greece, Cyprus, Ireland and Poland having already done so. Part of the reason that Italy has remained so strict on Covid for much of the pandemic, stems from how badly it was hit initially by the disease, with overflowing hospitals in the nation in the early days of 2020 a sign for Europe of how serious this disease was going to be.
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However, Italy has been experiencing a low incidence of Covid-19 recently, with the latest data from the WHO showing that the country has registered 141,325 cases of the disease in the last seven days. This is in part due to the strong vaccine takeup in the Mediterranean country, with more than 87% of adults completing their primary vaccination course, and some 77% of the same age group receiving their booster jab.
The lifting of the need to show a valid Covid cert when entering Italy, follows the dropping of the requirement to complete a passenger locator form when travelling to the country, which was scrapped on May 1. However, tourists still need to wear masks on their Italian holiday when frequenting public indoor venues such as cinemas and theatres, and an FPP2 mask is needed for travellers entering the popular tourist destination by plane, train, ferry or coach.
Masks will still be a requirement for holidaymakers when using public transport during their stay in Italy, so make sure you’ve got one handy on you at all times. The Italians follow their neighbours Greece, who have also dropped the requirement to provide a valid Covid cert to enter the country from June 1 also.
