The number of coronavirus cases in Italy today continued a steady decline despite a four-week easing of lockdown with the country now preparing to scrap its quarantine on international travellers.
Active cases fell 1,600 to 42,075 over the latest 24-hour period, with only around 400 patients now reported to be in a serious or critical condition.
The number of cases is less than half the level recorded on May 4, when the country that was once the epicentre of the pandemic began easing its lockdown.
The figures emerged as Italy prepares to welcome travellers from overseas when it scraps its 14-day quarantine from Wednesday. Travel within Italy’s regions will also be allowed for the first time in months.
Travellers from the UK will be among those allowed in without restrictions in a boost to hopes that Britons might be able to enjoy a European summer holiday after all.
Other European destinations, including Spain and Greece, have also announced they be will removing quarantine restrictions on travellers from certain countries in the coming weeks, but it is not yet clear whether that will apply to those from the UK.
Meanwhile, some Italian doctors have reported signs that the coronavirus might be losing its potency.
Alberto Zangrillo, head of the San Raffaele Hospital in Milan, called on ministers to get Italy back to “being a normal country” after revealing that tests on patients in recent days have shown viral loads considerably smaller than those observed one or two months ago.
“In reality, the virus clinically no longer exists in Italy,” he said.
