Italy will allow travel to and from abroad starting on June 3, the government announced late Friday night (local time), in a quickened exit from the coronavirus lockdown.
According to Italy's cabinet decision, restrictions will also be lifted on travel within Italy -- meng residents will once again be allowed to freely travel from region to region, Xinhua news agency reported.
The loosened restrictions, set to end on May 18, will come more than 12 weeks after the country, which almost became an epicenter of the deadly contagious outbreak in Europe months ago, closed its borders to non-essential travel as part of Europe's first strictest national coronavirus lockdown.
While Italy has been gradually easing the terms of the domestic lockdown that first went into effect on March 10, the June 3 change will be the first change that allows travel to and from Italy from other countries.
The Schengen Area, comprising of 26 European countries, will allow passport-free travel between them. It is made up of 22 of 27 European Union states plus four countries in the European Free Trade Association that are not part of the European Union. Every country that directly borders Italy is either a member of the Schengen-area or a de facto member of the group.
The decision stated that the June 3 benchmark as well as Monday's deadline that will allow unrestricted travel within Italian regions could be pulled back if data on the spread of the coronavirus in Italy worsens enough.
The decree did not say what health and safety measures would be put in effect for travelers who come to Italy after June 3, and while those arriving in Italy will be required to self-isolate on arrival, it does not change whatever quarantine rules might be in place for travelers going to other countries from Italy.
Media reports said the June 3 date was selected to exclude the long holiday weekend that ends with Italy's national holiday Republic Day on June 2, a Tuesday.
According to some media reports, a few regions urged Giuseppe Conte to roll back the restrictions sooner, but the prime minister pushed for a gradual rollback of restrictions to prevent a second wave.
The current curbs will stay in place until after Italy's Republic Day holiday on June 2 to prevent mass travel over the holiday weekend.
( With inputs from ANI )