The European Centre for Disease Prevention and Control (ECDC) has revealed through its latest update of the COVID-19 map that the epidemiologic situation has notably improved in most EU countries, especially in Spain, France, and Italy.
Based on the figures that have been published by the EU health agency yesterday, October 7, the Canary Islands, Liechtenstein, and several regions of France, Italy, and the Czech Republic have turned green since they have identified less than 50 COVID-19 infection cases per 100,000 inhabitants and have had a test positivity rate of less than four per cent during the last two weeks.
As a result, travel to and from the Canary Islands, Liechtenstein and one of the regions listed below is no longer discouraged provided that travellers meet their destination country’s entry rules:
- Regions of Spain: Extremadura, Valencia, La Rioja (Galicia, Castile and León, Navarre are already green)
- Regions of France: Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Bretagne, Hauts-de-France (Normandy is already part of the green list)
- Regions of Italy: Apulia, Umbria, Liguria
- Half of the Czech Republic
The COVID-19 situation has also improved in Sweden and Norway, with the regions of Jamtland and Vestland turning from orange to green, SchengenVisaInfo.com reports.
The vaccination campaign has been successful in all of the countries mentioned above, and that is one of the main reasons they are now placed on the green list. In addition, the requirement to have a COVID-19 health pass when attending different places and events had an important role in improving the situation.
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Generally speaking, all travellers from one of the countries and regions that are currently placed on the green list should not be required to follow entry rules as long as they hold a vaccination or recovery certificate. However, each country has the right to decide on its own entry rules.
Moreover, Finland, Denmark, and Hungary have been coloured orange this week, meaning that travel to and from one of these countries is no longer discouraged.
In contrast, almost the entire territory of Romania had been coloured green for quite some time, but now the COVID-19 situation has worsened, and the country’s regions are coloured red or dark red.
Yesterday, SchengenVisaInfo.com reported that ECDC has advised that stricter rules apply to travellers from Germany and the three Baltic countries – Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania – since they have identified extremely high infection cases. As a result, travel to and from one of these countries is highly discouraged.
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