Italy FM: Greek Italian borders to reopen in June

Italian Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Tuesday Greece has agreed to reopen its borders to Italians and eliminate the quarantine requirement for travelers in the coming weeks. Di Maio flew to Athens to straighten out some misunderstandings between the two countries regarding coronavirus and treatment of Italian travelers to Greece. Speaking at a press conference with his Greek counterpart Nico Denias, Di Maio insisted that there must be a Europe-wide series of regulations and criteria for travel and transparency and open data-sharing regarding the virus.

Italians have complained at a series of limitations imposed by the Greek government on visitors coming from various regions of Italy badly hit by the virus. Regions of Italy considered at high risk – the northern areas of Lombardy, Emilia Romagna, Piedmont and Veneto were required to have a coronavirus test and, if positive, remain in quarantine for two weeks on arrival in Greece. Panicked by Italy's coronavirus outbreak in February, countries in the 26-nation Schengen travel zone – where people and goods move freely without border checks - imposed border restrictions without consulting their neighbours to try to keep the disease out. The result has been devastating for Italy with a tourism industry which accounts for 13% of the gross domestic product brought to its knees and now struggling to get up.

Di Maio told reporters in Athens that Italy's hotels and restaurants are not open for business with full safety measures implemented to guarantee the tranquillity of their guests. Last week Di Maio said Italy refused to be treated as a leper after Greece announced a list of 29 countries whose citizens could visit without testing or quarantine requirements, but excluded Italians, Britons and residents of other hard-hit countries. Italy is one of the worst hit countries in Europe by COVID-19 with over 235,000 infections and nearly 34,000 deaths to date.