Italy orders EU visitors to self quarantine for 5 days

Italy has imposed a five-day quarantine on people entering from other European Union countries in a bid to deter Easter getaways and limit the spread of the coronavirus.

Health Minister Roberto Speranza says he signed the new ordinance Tuesday.

It requires a virus test before arriving in Italy, five days of quarantine once here and another virus test to get out of quarantine for anyone entering Italy from the EU.

Lobby groups, including those representing tour operators, had cheered the now-closed loophole that allowed Italians to travel to low-risk countries for pleasure.

Italy has long required quarantine for people arriving from non-EU countries, though exceptions abound, including for residents returning from short work trips and those flying on flights with tests at departure and arrival.

Passengers at Rome's Leonardo Da Vinci- Fiumicino Airport on Wednesday mostly appeared resigned to the new development.

The airport is now seeing traffic of around 10,000 to 11,000 people daily, numbers far below the 145,000 pre-pandemic.

Overall, there has been a 75% decrease in travelers from Rome compared to data from 2019, airport officials told AP.

The airport continues to serve all of Europe, but there are many fewer flights than before, as airplanes take off for Spain about five times a day compared to 30 or more pre-COVID.

Easter weekend used to see around 400,000 travelers, but the airport does not expect a dramatic increase of travelers this year.

Even with the new decree, airport officials said they might only see an increase of 300 to 400 people over the weekend, still ranging between 10,000 and 11,000 travelers.

Although Italians are allowed to leave the country, many cannot travel within the country due to the current restrictions.

This has angered the tourism sector in Italy, disappointed that its government allows its citizens to travel abroad freely, but does not allow them to visit neighbouring regions.

The tourism sector has been one of the hardest hit by the pandemic, and many were expecting to be able to work after a year without tourists.

The regulation is place through April 6.