The luxury Italian vacation spot has vaccinated over eighty per cent of its inhabitants—and is ready for tourist season.
Capri, in the Gulf of Naples, has become the latest region in Europe to express its interest in opening the borders to international travellers by summertime. In fact, Vincenzo De Luca, Governor of the Campania area, has this week announced that its vaccination program has nearly concluded—and that the island of Capri is “Covid-free.”
“We are preparing to welcome millions of tourists and to prevent them from going to Spain or Greece,” Vincenzo De Luca, Governor of the wider Campania region shared in a statement earlier this week. “Now it is essential not to waste time. The hotel sector must make its decisions by May, otherwise, we will lose an entire tourist season.”
According to a recent CNN report, more than eighty per cent of all 15,000 inhabitants of Capri have received at least one dose of the vaccine—and by the end of this week, all tourism sector workers who live off the island but commute in for work will also be vaccinated.
“It is a very strong message that we send to the whole world—you can come here in total safety,” Marino Lembo, the Mayor of Capri, told CNN in a statement.
“Not only is the island Covid-free, but for customers who need it, we can organize a molecular swab (PCR) and provide the result in time for their departure,” added Sergio Gargiulo, who chairs the Federalberghi hotel association.
See also: What To Know About Hotel La Palma, Opening in Capri in 2022
While the rest of Italy hasn’t made it quite as far with its vaccine rollout just yet—just 28 per cent of all Italians have received at least one dose—the country still plans to reopen for international tourism later this month and has already begun easing its lockdown measures.
Note that although the country is set to open its borders for tourism, all visitors to Italy will be required to quarantine for a minimum of five days. The country is also set to offer a “tourist pass” that will allow those who have been vaccinated or who have had Covid-19 in the past six months to skip quarantining entirely.
See also: These Are The Countries Now Open To Vaccinated Hong Kong Travellers