ITALY PINS HOPES ON TOURISM REVIVAL AS BORDERS ARE FULLY REOPENED

ROME Italy reopened its borders to British and other European tourists on Wednesday, after a three-month lockdown in which 33,500 people lost their lives to coronavirus.

Italy became the first European country to fully take the step just as Britain was poised to impose quarantine requirements on arrivals.

In contrast, visitors from the United Kingdom and the European Union will not have to go into 14-day quarantine upon arrival in Italy.

A ban on travelling between Italy’s 20 regions was also lifted — since March such journeys were prohibited unless for urgent work or health reasons. It meant families could be reunited after three months of separation.

“We did it, with the sacrifice of everyone,” said Francesco Boccia, Italy’s minister for regional affairs.

Like all countries, Italy has had to weigh the dangers of opening up too early against the need to rebuild its shattered economy.

The national government had to overrule objections from some regions — Tuscany and Campania among them — which were worried about new infections being carried from regions that were worst affected by COVID-19.