Although you’re missing the buds and blooms of an Italian Spring this year, promising news is emanating from the European parliament which foresees travel restrictions being relaxed over the next few months.

When interviewed recently on Italy’s popular "Che Tempo Che Fa" programme, the European commissioner for internal market, Thierry Breton, discussed the prospect of a European health passport - dependent upon the success of an accelerated vaccine roll-out across Europe - being in operation by mid or end June. The commission, he said, is working on digital arrangements and details and there is a team working to bring the project to fruition which should be in place by mid-May. All member states are involved and the first functional tests will be carried out in early June with the programme, hopefully up and running to full effect, by the end of the month.

The passport, he explained, will indicate who has been vaccinated and who has antibodies (given that 7-8% of the European population has been infected by Covid). For those who have neither, the results of a recent molecular swab will be required. 

All of this will allow increased movement across Europe with similar plans on the table for transatlantic movement later in the year.  Cortona’s Mayor, Luciano Meoni, is anticipating this being in ‘the Autumn’ which is technically 22nd September, but perhaps, if we’re lucky we’ll see some of you before then on Covid free flights. 

In a press release issued by the Comune of Cortona (17/04/2021) initiatives are in place to keep Cortona busy throughout the autumn and winter, with the University of Georgia students (UGA), on course to return to Cortona, in September.

Fingers crossed!  In the meantime, some buds and blooms of spring!