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HEALTH

Italy extends Covid-19 emergency measures until July 31st

Italy's current emergency rules aimed at slowing the spread of Covid-19 will remain in place until at least the end of July, after the government signed off on an extension to the latest emergency decree.

Published: 15 July 2020 10:01 CEST
Italy extends Covid-19 emergency measures until July 31st
A sticker on the floor of a Rome hotel advises visitors to keep their distance. Photo: AFP
Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte and Health Minister Roberto Speranza signed a bill late on Tuesday extending the current rules provided under the so-called relaunch decree until July 31st.
 
The extension was approved by the Senate with 154 votes in favour and 129 against.
 
It obliges the government to “extend the preventive measures provided for by the Prime Minister's decree of June 11th, and to strengthen the monitoring of arrivals from non-Schengen countries,” Italian media reports.
 
The emergency phase “has not passed”, Speranza said in an address to the Senate.
 
“We must not underestimate the pandemic risk. The circulation of the virus is accelerating and it is not losing strength”.
 
“There will always be some risk without a vaccine,” the minister added.

 
Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza. File photo: AFP
 
“Today worldwide 13 million people have been infected and half a million have died,” he said. “It is evident that we cannot lower our guard, and we must not be divided about this.”
 
“There is debate within the scientific community but no one says it is not necessary to wear face masks, keep one's distance or wash hands”.
 
The current measures in place include the obligation to wear face masks on public transport and in shops, restaurants, public offices, hospitals, and workplaces where it is not possible for people to keep at least one metre apart at all times.
 
 
Travel restrictions
 
The extension also covers current restrictions on travel to and from Italy, Speranza confrmed.
 
He said the government was sticking to its “prudent line” on arrivals from outside Europe after several outbreaks in Italy reportedly stemming from imported cases.
 
“We must not go back on the prevention measures in order to reignite our economy,” Speranza said. “The sacrifices made cannot have been in vain.”
 
“Today there is a ban on arrivals and transit from 13 countries. We will constantly update this list and the 14-day quarantine remains for all arrivals from extra-European countries.
 
(For more information, please see this complete guide to exactly who can travel to Italy right now, in a separate article.)
 
“We are in danger of importing the novel coronavirus from citizens who come from abroad or Italian citizens returning home.”
 
He added that the government is “also paying maximum attention to migrant landings, with a period of quarantine,” after reports of some migrants arriving in southern Italy recently testing positive for the virus.
 
Speranza also stressed that the government has not yet made a final decision on extending the coronavirus state of emergency beyond the end of July, amid reports of it potentially being extended until the end of October.

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BREXIT

Will Brits in Italy face travel problems under new EES passport system?

The EU's new Entry & Exit System (EES) of enhanced passport controls is due to come into force later this year, but will this create more headaches for non-EU nationals who need to prove their Italian residency rights?

Published: 30 April 2024 16:36 CEST
Will Brits in Italy face travel problems under new EES passport system?

Currently scheduled to start in autumn 2024 (unless it’s delayed again, which is possible) the EU’s new Entry & Exit System is an enhanced passport check at external EU borders.

You can find a full explanation of the new system and what it means for travellers HERE.

Those crossing an external EU or Schengen border for the first time will be required to complete EES ‘pre-registration’ formalities, including facial scan and fingerprinting.

Several groups are exempt from EES, and one of them is non-EU nationals who have a residency permit or long-stay visa for an EU country.

A European Commission spokesman told The Local: “Non-EU citizens residing in the EU are not in the scope of the EES and will not be subject to pre-enrollment of data in the EES via self-service systems. The use of automation remains under the responsibility of the Member States and its availability in border crossing points is not mandatory.

“When crossing the borders, holders of EU residence permits should be able to present to the border authorities their valid travel documents and residence permits.”

READ ALSO: What will EES passport system mean for foreigners living in Europe?

But there have understandably been questions about how this exemption will work in practice.

Most airports, ports or terminals have two passport queues – EU and non-EU. It remains unclear whether the non-EU queue will now have a separate section for those who are exempt from EES.

It appears that exempt groups will not be able to use the automated passport scanners – since those cannot scan additional documents like residency permits – but should instead use manned passport booths.

What does this mean for travel between Italy and the UK?

It seems that nothing will therefore change for those who already have to show their Italian residency documents along with their passport when travelling to and from the UK (or another non-EU country) in order to avoid having their passport incorrectly stamped.

UK citizens who were legally resident in Italy before the end of the Brexit transition period are in a somewhat unusual position, as Italy is one of a handful of “declaratory” countries in the EU where getting a post-Brexit residency card (Italy’s is known as the ‘carta di soggiorno‘) was optional, rather than compulsory.

The British government has long recommended that British nationals who were resident in Italy before Brexit should obtain the card as it’s the easiest way to prove residency rights and avoid delays at the border.

In practice, many of Italy’s British residents have since found that the post-Brexit residency card is also necessary in order to complete various bureaucratic procedures within Italy.

READ ALSO: EES: Could the launch of Europe’s new border system be delayed again?

But will the EES system mean that the card now becomes a de facto requirement when travelling between Italy and the UK?

The British government has not issued any updated guidance on the matter in light of the introduction of EES, and the British Embassy in Rome did not immediately respond to a request for comment from The Local.

Although EES does not change any rules relating to residency or travel, it seems likely that it will be more hassle to travel without a ‘carta di soggiorno’ than it is now.

As always, our advice is that getting the card, if you haven’t already, will probably save you a considerable amount of time and trouble, both within Italy and when travelling.

You can find our full Q&A on EES HERE.

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