Italy bans entry to Bangladeshis

Italy has banned travellers from Bangladesh, India and Sri Lanka amid worsening coronavirus situation.

In a decree yesterday, Italian authorities banned entry of passengers who have stayed or transited throughout the three countries in the previous 14 days. The ban remains valid until May 15, said Italian Ambassador to Bangladesh, Enrico Nunziata.

"Only Italian citizens resident in Italy before 29th of April and diplomats are allowed to enter Italy on the condition that they observe an institutional quarantine in a Covid hotel or other structures indicated by the health authorities," he told The Daily Star yesterday.

The decision comes as Italian authorities identified two cases of the Indian variant of coronavirus in two travellers who returned form India.

More than 18 million people in India have been infected and some 2.04 lakh have died.

Italian Health Minister Roberto Speranza last Sunday announced a new ban on anyone entering Italy who has been in India in the past 14 days.

Italy had banned travelers from Bangladesh during peak coronavirus surge last year as well. Presently, there is no regular flight in operation from Bangladesh to Italy but special flights are arranged for the passengers.

Italy is home to some 148,000 registered Bangladeshis, while several thousand are undocumented.