Border Restrictions Eased Across Some Alpine Countries
16th May 2020
Last modified on May 14th, 2021
Italy has announced that travel will be allowed from June 3rd. It follows Austria, France and Switzerland relaxing some restrictions today with a plan for borders reopening on June 15th.
The Italian government has signed a decree that will allow travel to and from the country from 3rd June.
It is the latest move as the UK is set to introduced a 14-day quarantine period, that now includes France.
See an update on the situation in our rolling blog, coronavirus impact on snowsports.
Much of the rest of Europe has had strict restrictions since the middle of March and they are set to ease next month.
It comes as the Alps is slowly opening up to tourism as we reported earlier.
Some ski resorts in the Alps prepare to open
ITALY
Italy has said it will reopen its border and allow travel between the regions from June 3rd.
The 14-day quarantine requirement will go.
The decree was signed by Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte on Saturday and then published.
Shops and restaurants are also due to reopen from 18th May, providing social distancing is enforced.
Catholic churches are preparing for the resumption of Mass on the same day, but there will be strict social distancing and worshippers must wear face masks.
Other faiths will also be allowed to hold religious services.
All travel restrictions should then be lifted from 3rd June.
This weekend Switzerland, Germany and Austria are relaxing some border restrictions ahead of full reopening which will include France in mid-June
Friends and families separated by the border closures are now able to meet again.
But for tourists, shoppers and the simply curious the frontiers stay closed.
The four countries, all members of the Schengen open-border zone, shut their frontiers in March in a bid to control the spread of the coronavirus.
Policing this new arrangement will be difficult.
For example those wishing to cross from Switzerland to Germany have to fill out a form, explaining why they want to go and who they want to visit.
Switzerland, France, Germany and Austria say they hope to reopen their borders with one another completely in mid-June.
But only if cases of the coronavirus remain low.
