Germany is gearing up to lift travel restrictions on 31 European countries beginning mid-June as the country continues to see decreases in new COVID-19 cases.
Germany’s cabinet on Wednesday is set to decide on the proposal that would rid current coronavirus-related travel restrictions on 26 European Union countries, as well as four Schengen Area countries that are not members of the EU — Iceland, Norway, Switzerland and Liechtenstein, German news outlet Deutsche Welle reported.
If approved, the government would instead provide travel advice, rather than restrictions, for travellers seeking to visit any of the listed destinations beginning on June 15.
“The revitalization of tourism is important both for travelers and the German travel industry, as well as for the economic stability of the respective target countries,” according to the proposal.
Germany has been praised for its low COVID-19 death figures, which experts and officials have attributed to early action taken at the beginning of the outbreak.
The country’s foreign minister implemented a global travel warning on Mach 17 as it began to enter nationwide social distance and partial lockdown measures.
With a population of 83 million, Germany has reported 180,802 cases of COVID-19, according to the Johns Hopkins University tracker, 8,329 deaths and 161,699 recoveries.
Italy’s foreign minister has since jumped on Germany’s proposal and taken it one step further by calling for travel restrictions to be lifted throughout Europe on the same day, roughly three weeks from now.
“Let’s work together so that on June 15 Europe can start anew,” Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio said during a television interview Tuesday. “June 15, is a day for tourism, a little bit like European D-Day.”
• Lauren Toms can be reached at lmeier@washingtontimes.com.
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