Italy – Loosening Lockdown, Slow Reopening, Relaxing Travel Restrictions
Italy – Relaxing Travel Restrictions
Italy’s government published more statutes that regulate various aspects of the population’s life as the country proceeds through “phase 2.” Careful steps laid out are aimed at reopening economic and commercial activities and at allowing wider freedom of movement of people, but this is not comprehensive and there are still some exceptions in respect of the restrictions. Public agencies and offices are still having their employees work remotely, though they are starting to set up appointments.
Italy’s government published more statutes1 that regulate various aspects of the population’s life as the country proceeds through “phase 2.” The published decrees allow for easier movement by people throughout the country and an initial opening of the borders (restricted to the European Union (EU) and other European countries), though this still depends to a large extent on the airlines and other domestic and international factors. (For prior coverage, see GMS Flash Alert 2020-214, 1 May 2020.)
Each region is developing policies for respecting the phase 2 reopening.2
WHY THIS MATTERS
The aim of the Italian authorities is to re-establish some semblance of normalisation of life in Italy while trying to do this responsibly along with avoiding the potential for further spread of COVID-19.
Careful steps laid out are aimed at reopening economic and commercial activities and at allowing wider freedom of movement of people, but this is not comprehensive and there are still some exceptions in respect of the restrictions, particularly as concerns travelling between the EU and Schengen countries, the U.K. and Ireland, Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, and the Holy See, first of all, starting 3 June.
Public agencies and offices are still having their employees work remotely, though they are starting to set up appointments.
Further Reopening of the Country
- Travel restrictions between Italy’s regions continue with only essential movements permitted up through 2 June 2020, and such travel requires the individual travelling to have appropriate certification. It is possible to go back to one’s official place of residence or domicile when in a different region.
- From 3 June, travel between regions will be possible for all reasons. However, it is possible, if conditions warrant, that further restrictions may be (re)imposed by national or regional authorities relating to specific areas that are deemed a risk of further contagion.
- Generally speaking, trips to and from Italy are prohibited until 2 June; also this depends on international and domestic factors, and on the airlines’ availability.
- The current provisions of the new laws confirm the measures already in place for trips to Italy (i.e., to self-certify the reason of the trip when boarding/travelling, communicate the address where the individual plans to spend a 14-day quarantine period in Italy, to inform in advance the local health authorities, etc.). Measures currently in force do not apply to some categories of travellers including frontier workers, health services personnel, transport crews, and EU/Schengen countries citizens and residents with documented work reasons.
- From 3 June, it will be possible to travel freely – without being subject to the quarantine obligations and giving self-certification – from and to the EU and the Schengen countries, and also from the U.K., Andorra, Monaco, San Marino, and the Holy See. From 3 June to 15 June, trips to and from all other countries are still prevented unless they are for provable work reasons, related to extremely urgent matters, to health needs, or to travel back to the place of residence.
- Social distancing and working from home continue and remain mandatory now that phase 2 has gone live. In addition, for those public offices and agencies that are set to open (at a “TBD” date, rather subjective for each office), some physical organizational, design, and structural changes must be made so as to create a work-space/place of business that offers the highest level of safety possible for employees and customers/users/service-providers as well. Therefore, public offices and agencies are not completely open to the public yet, and most of their employees continue to work from home; however, they have started to set up appointments to proceed with cases and handle inquiries.
Entering and Transiting in Italy for People Coming from Non-EU Countries
The current measures in force confirm the provisions introduced earlier for trips to Italy which apply to all countries up until 2 June 2020. (For prior coverage, see GMS Flash Alert 2020-214, 1 May 2020.) In particular, in case of extremely urgent work-related trips, quarantine can be postponed for no longer than 72 hours (plus a further 48 hours, if necessary) after arrival in Italy. Before entering Italy, the local health authorities having jurisdiction in the place of entry into Italy must be notified. In this case, when entering Italy, a self-declaration about the urgency of the trip and its length, with details of the private means of transport used to reach the place – along with the address(es) – of the accommodation(s) must be provided. After such period, either the person leaves Italy or a he must begin a 14-day quarantine.
FOOTNOTES
1 Decreto Del Presidente Del Consiglio Dei Ministri 17 Maggio 2020. As published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale online, see: https://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/atto/vediMenuHTML?atto.dataPubblicazioneGazzetta=2020-05-17&atto.codiceRedazionale=20A02717&tipoSerie=serie_generale&tipoVigenza=originario .
Decreto-Legge 16 Maggio 2020, N. 33. As published in the Gazzetta Ufficiale online, see: https://www.gazzettaufficiale.it/atto/vediMenuHTML?atto.dataPubblicazioneGazzetta=2020-05-16&atto.codiceRedazionale=20G00051&tipoSerie=serie_generale&tipoVigenza=originario .
2 For a news report (in Italian) of the regional actions to open under phase 2 rules, see F. Gozzini "Fase 2: le ordinanze delle regioni per le riaperture dal 18 maggio" (19/05/2020) in Punto Sicuro (online) at: https://www.puntosicuro.it/sicurezza-sul-lavoro-C-1/coronavirus-covid19-C-131/fase-2-le-ordinanze-delle-regioni-per-le-riaperture-dal-18-maggio-AR-20107/ . (Note that this is a 3rd party (non-governmental, non-KPMG) website. Providing this link does not represent an endorsement of this website by KPMG.)
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The information contained in this newsletter was submitted by the KPMG International member firm in Italy.
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