Italy reopens its borders, Austria and Germany set to follow

Italy reopens its borders to European travelers as the continent slowly emerges from quarantines to restart battered economies.

European nations among the hardest hit by the outbreak have mostly flattened out infection curves and turned to the task of balancing economic recovery against the risk of a second wave of cases.

Italy — the first country badly hammered in Europe — is leading the way to restart, hoping tourism will revive its recession-hit economy three months after the nation shut down.

Meanwhile Austria says it will scrap virus controls on all land borders, except for Italy, still viewed by some of neighbors as a virus hotspot.

Germany will also lift its blanket travel warning for European nations from June 15, replacing it with warnings for individual countries.

— AFP