Residents of the southern region of Puglia must now self-isolate for 14 days upon re-entry if they’ve travelled to Spain, Greece or Malta, according to a new regional ordinance.
“In the last two days we’ve logged numerous cases of Puglia residents who have tested positive after coming back from Greece, Malta, Spain, countries with a high viral circulation,” regional president Michele Emiliano said on Tuesday evening.
The new rule will not apply to Spanish, Greek or Maltese residents visiting Puglia, nor to people who live elsewhere in Italy and pass through the region on their way home – if, for instance, they disembark at the ports of Bari or Brindisi and drive to another part of the country.
But everyone arriving in Puglia, including locals, residents of other regions and foreign tourists, is required to inform regional health authorities using an online “self-report” form.
Police will be stepping up controls to catch people who fail to fill in the form or breach the new quarantine rule, which applies from August 12.
Meanwhile in Campania, residents coming back from any foreign country during August must be tested for coronavirus upon their return home.
In the country’s north, the region of Emilia-Romagna will also make testing mandatory for residents returning from Spain, Greece, Croatia or Malta.
Holidaymakers must get tested within 24 hours of arriving in the region, but they’ll only have to quarantine if they test positive for the virus.
Sicily’s government has indicated that it may introduce its own rules too.
The only EU countries on which Italy has nationwide restrictions are Romania and Bulgaria, whose residents may still travel to Italy but must quarantine for two weeks on arrival.
People from all other members of the EU or Schengen Zone, plus the UK, face no restrictions when coming to Italy.
Quarantine remains compulsory for anyone else arriving in Italy from any country outside the EU.
