Italy turns focus towards reopening its land borders
Tourism chiefs welcome June 3 start to summer season, but it’s too early for their neighbours, writes Charles Paz
THE Italian government announced yesterday that it will throw open its borders next month, effectively ending Europe’s longest and strictest coronavirus lockdown just as the summer tourism season gets under way.
Both regional and international borders will open on Wednesday, June 3, with the government eliminating a 14-day quarantine for anyone arriving from abroad. Many hope the move will revive a decimated tourist industry, which is worth 13pc of Italy’s gross domestic product.
Such an opening is exactly what tourism operators have been waiting for — even if European neighbours so far appeared to be wary of the unilateral Italian announcement.
“We hope to work with the neighbouring countries, those who can travel by car,’’ said
Gianni Serandrei, the owner of the four-star Hotel Saturnia near St Mark’s Square in Venice.
The hotel’s last guest — a determined couple of honeymooners from Argentina — checked out around March 11, days after Italy’s lockdown. And when phones have rung in recent months, it has been with cancellations, with only a few reservations for 2021 trickling in.
Holidaymakers in Venice are overwhelmingly foreign, making open borders and an eventual resumption of air traffic key to a successful season.
With no clear indication of when more regular air traffic will resume, he is looking forward to further signals before committing to a June 3 opening. The caution may be merited.
Germany — whose border is about a four-hour drive from Venice through Austria
— is instructing citizens not to travel abroad for tourism until at least June 15. And officials in France made clear that they had sought a coordinated EU effort on border openings, indicating Italy had jumped the gun.
The daily toll from the pandemic in Italy fell to 153 yesterday — its lowest since March 9 — against 242 the day before. The daily tally of new cases increased to 875 from 789 last Friday.
The total death toll since the outbreak came to light on February 21 now stands at 31,763 — the third highest in the world after those of the USA and Britain. The number of confirmed cases amounts to 224,760, the fifth highest global tally behind the US, Spain, Britain and Russia.
Spain’s government yesterday said it will seek to extend its coronavirus state of emergency for the last time until late June.
Prime minister Pedro Sanchez was speaking as the country’s daily death toll reached a near eight-week low.
“The path that we are taking is the only one possible,”
Sanchez told a news conference, saying he would ask parliament for an extension of about a month until the end of June when most of the hardhit nation should be returning to normality.
Spain first introduced a state of emergency decree on March 14. Officials say that while the outbreak has been brought largely under control, restrictions must stay in place a bit longer as the lockdown is gradually phased out.
The country’s Covid-19 death toll rose by 102 to 27,563 yesterday, the lowest 24-hour increase since March 18. Confirmed coronavirus cases climbed to 230,698 from 230,183.
In France, health authorities reported 96 new coronavirus deaths yesterday, bringing the total to 27,625, the fourth highest in the world.
The ministry said the number of people in hospitals fell to 19,432 from 19,861 last Friday and the number of people in intensive care units dropped to 2,132 from 2,203 on Friday.
In Germany, the football season resumed after a twomonth break. All the games began amid strict hygiene measures. Calls and shouts from coaching staff and players, and the thud of the ball being kicked, reverberated around the mainly deserted stands.
Players had been warned to keep their emotions in check, and to desist from spitting, handshakes and hugging.
Team staff, and players who didn’t start, wore masks.
Substitutes took their positions in the stands, rather than beside the fields as customary, while balls and seats were disinfected.
Britain yesterday reported 468 more Covid-19 deaths in their latest daily update, bringing the country’s overall death toll to 34,466.
The deaths include those in hospitals, nursing and care homes and the wider community.
The UK health department said another 3,451 people have tested positive for the coronavirus, putting the total at 240,161.
Britain has Europe’s highest death toll and most confirmed cases.
‘Players had been warned to avoid spitting, handshakes and hugging’