Italy will loosen its anti-COVID controls for travellers arriving from China, making swabs random rather than mandatory at its airports, a document seen by Reuters on Tuesday.
Under a new order signed by Health Minister Orazio Schillaci, Italy will require those flying from China to test negative within 48 hours of departure and may carry additional swabs on a random basis upon arrival at the airport.
On December 28 Italy imposed mandatory COVID 19 tests and virus sequencing for passengers coming from China.
Tuesday's order will come into effect on Wednesday and will be valid until the end of February.
Italy's position contrasts with that of France which extended mandatory COVID-19 tests for travellers from China until February 15th.
The United States and Japan have been forced to impose travel rules on Chinese visitors due to the scale of the outbreak in China and doubts over official data.
The reopening of China's borders on January 8 raises the prospect of Chinese tourists returning to shopping streets around the world, once a market worth US $255 billion a year.