How might Puglia’s summer 2021 look?

This week the Italian Prime Minister announced that Italy is ready “to welcome back the world.” From 15 May Italy will be open to tourists subject to Italy’s new green pass and the rules of the country travellers visit from.

Italy’s state of emergency nevertheless continues until 31 July, including a national 10pm curfew, although the government have said that they will review this in “mid-May”.

The green pass

Full details have yet to be published but a tourism ministry source confirmed that visitors who have had an EU-approved Covid-19 vaccine, recovered from the disease or tested negative 48 hours prior to travelling will be allowed entry without the requirement to self isolate.

Countries that are on Italy’s travel restrictions blacklist are excluded.

Any restrictions in the country of origin will apply. It was announced last night that Italy is not on England’s green list. Visitors travelling from England are currently subject to a 10-day quarantine on the return home and two PCR tests.

It is expected Italy will be given the green light for quarantine-free travel at the end of June, before the school holidays start in July.

Australia currently have a travel ban and the US Home Department still have a level 4 warning in place advising against travel to Italy.

UPDATE 10 May: Italy is “hoping” to drop the quarantine requirement for visitors from the EU, UK, and Israel “by mid-May”, according to foreign minister Luigi Di Maio speaking on Saturday, and looking at putting an end to the quarantine requirement for US visitors from June.

Does Puglia have Covid-19 under control?

On 10 May Puglia finally moves into the low-risk “yellow” zone according to Italy’s regional risk classification system. For the first time in over 2 months restaurants and bars can open for outdoor table service. Movement around the region and to other yellow zones is permitted without restriction.

“It’s not a free for all,” warned Puglia’s regional councilor for health, Pierluigi Lopalco, welcoming the move.

“We will have to continue to maintain all precautions, avoiding the gatherings that in any case are prohibited, sanitizing hands, using masks and keeping the distance in every whether it is open or closed. The circulation of the virus remains high and the pressure on health facilities is still heavy. We must not waste the opportunity to return to normal as soon as possible.”

13,7% of Italy’s adult (16+) population have had both vaccinations, an additional 17,5% have had one shot | La Repubblica as at 7 May 2021.

Although the number of Covid-19 cases in Italy is declining overall it is not yet under control. Vaccinations have been sluggish resulting in Italy missing vaccination targets, and below the EU average.

New strains are prevalent and likely to impact on holidays this year.

From 10 May the region will open vaccination bookings to the 59 - 50 year old age group.

Learning from 2020

After Italy’s first Covid-19 wave, almost all restrictions were relaxed at the beginning of June 2020 after 10 weeks of lockdown. As beaches filled, with social distancing all but forgotten, rules were suddenly tightened again from mid-August.

Consequently a more cautious approach is expected this year. Official sources have already stated that it will take time to relax current restrictions, including the 10pm curfew, despite the warmer weather.

There is an expectation that the curfew might be relaxed over summer until 11pm, but this is not guaranteed.