Italian government has decided to reopen the borders to travellers from Europe beginning from June 3rd as the lockdown eases.
Italian Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte announced that people will no longer have to justify their travels within their own region and will be able to meet friends as well as family. Shops, bars, and restaurants are also expected to reopen from Monday.
Conte said that anybody entering Italy from an EU country starting from June 3rd would not have to undergo a 14 day quarantine period.
Italy was the first European country to impose strict nationwide lockdown in March and only allowed a slight relaxation of the rules on May 4th when it allowed factories and parks to reopen.
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The government has also imposed a requirement to take reservations and keep records of patrons for at least two weeks in restaurants and bars. It recommends the use of disposable or electronic menus that can be read on personal devices.
More than 31,600 people have died since the crisis emerged on 21 February, and at one stage Italy had the highest number of deaths in Europe.
This new development comes as Italy recorded the lowest number of deaths with a number of 153 on Saturday, making it the lowest number since March.