Italy is hoping to drop the quarantine requirement for visitors from the rest of the European Union, Britain and Israel by mid-May, Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said on Saturday, according to AFP.
"The aim is to reopen to visitors from foreign countries which have reached a high level of vaccinations, loosening some measures as early as mid-May," he was quoted as having said after talks with Health Minister Roberto Speranza.
"We are working to overcome the 'mini quarantine' for those who come from European countries, the United Kingdom and Israel, if they have a negative test, proof of vaccination or have recovered from coronavirus in the last six months," added Di Maio.
The current rules on EU arrivals expire on May 15.
Di Maio said Italy would also be working to increase the number of "COVID-free" flights to and from the United States, and to end the quarantine requirement from June.
Italy began a cautious reopening on April 26 after months of coronavirus restrictions, with bars and restaurants permitted to serve customers outdoors.
The country recorded 10,000 new cases of COVID-19 on Saturday and 224 deaths, taking the total to more than 122,000 -- the highest rate in the EU. Italy surpassed the grim milestone of 100,000 official coronavirus deaths at the start of March.
Italy’s announcement came a day after the British government announced a list of countries to which citizens will be able to travel to without having to quarantine on their return, including Israel, Portugal and Iceland.