Switzerland to further open borders to European Union from June 15
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The decision was reached after a virtual meeting between interior ministers from the Schengen area, with a large number of European countries deciding to follow a similar path, Bern said in a statement.
Switzerland will lift coronavirus-imposed restrictions at its borders with all European Union, European Free Trade Association (EFTA) countries, Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein and the United Kingdom from June 15.
The decision was reached after a virtual meeting between interior ministers from the Schengen area, with a large number of European countries deciding to follow a similar path, Bern said in a statement.
Swiss authorities had already announced in mid-May plans to reopen the country's borders with its immediate neighbours, except Italy, on that date, and to the rest of the Schengen passport-free area by early July.
But with most European countries appearing to gain significant control over their COVID-19 outbreaks, Bern said in a statement that the "epidemiological situation" made a faster and broader opening possible.
A spokeswoman for the justice ministry confirmed that Italy, the country in Europe that has been hardest-hit by the pandemic was included in the decision.
Switzerland’s southern neighbour Italy lifted its border controls with Switzerland on June 3, but the Swiss government said a similar move on the Swiss side would be premature.