The Italian government has introduced an obligation to show a valid COVID-19 test for travelers from the European Union. This means that even vaccinated people will not be able to enter the country without first being tested.

Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza signed a regulation that requires a negative coronavirus test for travelers arriving from other European Union countries.

Until now, people visiting Italy from other Member States only had to show a digital certificate of vaccination or confirmation of illness. Under the new regulations, they will also have to prove a negative test result.

The new rule moves Italy away from a unified approach to travel across the EU, which puts the country at odds with the European authorities.

European Commission Vice-President Věra Jourová told journalists on Tuesday that additional travel conditions beyond vaccination certificates, such as those in Italy, must be justified "on the basis of the actual situation".

- Individual member states going in their own direction risk undermining confidence in pan-European measures that are applied uniformly across the bloc, said Jourová.

The Italian government also announced that the country's state of emergency will last until March 31. It was supposed to end on December 31, but was extended after the Cabinet meeting.

The extension of the state of emergency means the government retains the right to issue blockades in response to the spread of the virus. It also allows the continuation of the current regional "heat map" system, where different parts of the country are subject to stricter or looser restrictions based on epidemiological criteria.

Source: Politico