Foreign minister Luigi Di Maio on Monday called for a relaxation of current COVID-19 restrictions in place in Italy in order to entice foreign tourists back to the country and help revive its recession-hit economy.
"We must devote our energies to re-opening the country to foreign tourists," Di Maio wrote on Facebook on his return to Italy from a European Union Foreign Affairs Council meeting in Brussels.
"By relaxing the anti-COVID restrictions in Italy, it can become more attractive to citizens from abroad and we can kick off the summer season," the post continued.
Strict Coronavirus measures are still in place in Italy including a 10pm curfew, no indoor dining in restaurants or bars, a ban on gatherings, obligatory mask wearing out of doors and shopping centres shuttered at weekends.
