Spain Lifts Restrictions On Italians; State Of Emergency Still In Place

Spain is now opening its borders to travelers from Italy. The government gazette announced Monday, May 18 that Spain had lifted its ban on all sea and air travel from Italy in its bid to ease lockdown restrictions in the country.

Spain has been on lockdown since May 14 but officials have begun easing restrictions in recent weeks. While travelers from Italy can now enter Spain, however, they are required to undergo a two-week quarantine like other foreign visitors. The Spanish government also clarified that despite the reopening of its borders, a state of emergency would still be in place.

Spain is one of the countries most affected by the COVID-19 pandemic. Since the coronavirus hit the country in February, the country has identified at least 232,000 cases of the virus. Figures from the John Hopkins University also revealed that at least 27,000 people had already died from the virus in Spain.

The country’s health ministry announced on Monday that Spain’s daily death toll from COVID-19 had been falling far below 100 in recent days. The health ministry also confirmed that regional authorities had recorded only 87 new deaths from the coronavirus on Sunday, the lowest daily death toll recorded in the country since March 16.

The recent figures are in stark contrast with the 900 daily deaths recorded during the peak of Spain’s COVID-19 outbreak in March and April. Despite the improving figures, however, Spanish Prime Minister Pedro Sanchez said he would still extend the country’s state of emergency until the end of June. The government will also continue to require the use of face masks in all public spaces in the coming months.

“There is an ample consensus that we should reinforce the obligatory use of masks,” said Spain health minister Salvador Illa.

Meanwhile, Spanish lawyer and former assistant Secretary-General of the United Nations Arancha Gonzalez Laya said that while restrictions for Italians had already been lifted in Spain, the country might still not allow tourists to enter the country. “This year will be tough because we will not be able to welcome the tourists as we have in previous years because of health and safety, not only of tourists but also of Spaniards,” she said.