With a view to identifying and limiting the spread of possible variants of the COVID-19 virus, from 28 December 2022 to 31 January 2023, the regulations laid down in the Ordinance of the Ministry of Health shall apply to all inbound passengers from China. The regulation sets out the following provisions:
- Before embarking, the obligation for passengers to submit to the carrier a certificate proving to have taken a molecular test during the 72 preceding hours or an antigen test during the preceding 48 hours, with a negative test swab result;
- The obligation to take an antigen swab test on arrival at the airport or, should this be impossible, to take it at the competent local health authority within 48 hours from the passenger’s entry in the national territory;
- In case of testing positive to the antigen test, the obligation to immediately take a molecular test in order to enable the virus genome sequencing and a period of self-isolation in compliance with the current regulations;
- The obligation to test negative to another antigen or molecular test to end the self-isolation period.
As long as free from COVID-19 symptoms, the above provisions do not apply to children under six, the members of the crew and on-board staff on the means of transport of passengers and goods, the officials and officers, however defined, of the European Union or of international organizations, diplomats, the administrative and technical staff of diplomatic missions, the officials and employees of Consulates, the military personnel, including those re-entering the Country from international missions, the Police Forces, the staff of the Information System for the Security of the Republic (Sistema di informazione per la sicurezza della Repubblica) and of the Fire Department in the exercise of their duties.
