The coronavirus pandemic has meant that a lot of foreign travel has been off the cards this year.
While many of us opted for staycations, others did manage to grab a spot of summer sunshine after the Government introduced its list of countries exempt from quarantine measures – but with the second wave of cases rolling through Europe, the list has changed quite a bit since it was first published.
With that in mind, can you still visit Italy – which was originally on the list – under the current restrictions?
Here’s what you need to know…
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Can I travel to Italy under current coronavirus restrictions?
While it was on the exemption list for some time, Italy has now been removed from that list after a rise in Covid cases there once again – meaning that anybody arriving in the UK from Italy will have to self-isolate for 14 days on arrival.
The country was removed from the list last week, along with San Marino and Vatican City, after recording over 7,000 new Covid-19 infections last Wednesday.
That brings its case rate up to 64 per 100,000 people – way above the 20 cases per 100,000 threshhold after which the Government considers triggering quarantine measures.
While those restrictions may have been imposed, Italy’s borders are not currently closed and therefore people can travel there.
However, it’s worth noting that the Foreign Office is currently advising against all but essential travel to Italy – meaning that if you were planning a trip your travel insurance may be affected, and hence you would be travelling at your own risk.
If you are already in Italy, the Foreign Office has advised you do not need to cut your trip short – but be prepared to quarantine when you get to the UK.
Do you need to quarantine on arrival in Italy?
Travellers arriving in Italy from the UK don’t need to quarantine on arrival, but they must show evidence of testing negative for Covid 72 hours before travel.
You should not use the NHS testing service for this but should pay for a private test to be carried out.
Alternatively you can get a free test on arrival at some airports in Italy or at a testing facility – however you should be aware that if you test positive in Italy you will be required to quarantine, and that period could last anything from 10 days to three weeks.
If you have stayed in or travelled through a small number of listed countries within 14 days of entering Italy, you will need to self-isolate for 14 days upon arrival, and may be refused entry if you do not comply for any reason.
Before travelling you should also download and complete a self-declaration from the Ministry of Interior to inform local authorities of your presence.
It is worth noting that at the moment, even if you are planning on travelling to a country on the exemption list, that no foreign travel is currently risk-free, and that rules on quarantine and other measures can change at any time.
If you are visiting any foreign country you should make sure that you have comprehensive travel insurance and you should be sure to check what cover it offers for coronavirus-related events, including medical cover and travel disruption.
MORE: British friends held in Italy call for Netflix to turn quarantine ordeal into 2021 documentary
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source https://metro.co.uk/2020/10/21/can-i-travel-to-italy-under-current-coronavirus-restrictions-13457086/
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