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Three border crossings between Switzerland and Italy re-open

AFP
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Three border crossings between Switzerland and Italy re-open
Some borders between Switzerland and Italy have re-opened. Photo by Photo: MIGUEL MEDINA / AFP

As of May 4th, three posts between Italy and Ticino that have been shut down since mid-March are operational again.

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The three crossings will be in use from Monday to Friday only:

Ponte Cremenaga: from 6 am to 10 am, and from 4 pm to 7 pm
Brusino: from 5 am to 9 am, and from 4 pm to 8 pm
Ligornetto: from 6 am to 10 am, and from 4 pm to 7:30 pm

The posts of Dirinella, Brusata di Novazzano, Chiasso Brogeda autostrada, Chiasso strada, Gandria, Madonna di Ponte, Ponte Tresa, and Stabio are also open in Ticino.

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These additional crossings are re-opened to facilitate the resumption of border traffic and to prevent traffic jams a week before the new easing will go into force on May 11th. 

They are primarily intended for cross-border workers from Italy who commute to their Swiss jobs daily. More than 67,800 Italians work in Ticino, with about 4,000 of them employed in the canton’s healthcare sector.

Switzerland closed most of its border crossings with Italy — where the majority of early Covid-19 cases originated — between March 11th and 17th.

Then, on March 25th, Swiss authorities extended border restrictions and implemented border checks to all Schengen countries. Only citizens, residents, and those in possession of a cross-border working permit were granted entry. 

At the time, the decision to restrict entry to Switzerland was made to protect the population and maintain the capacities of the Swiss public health system.

But late in April the government began relaxing the restrictions by re-opening some entry points at Switzerland’s border with France.

This was done to prevent bottlenecks for the 85,000 French frontaliers who are employed in Geneva, and to prepare for the increase in numbers of those who will be eligible to enter Switzerland from May 11th, including EU citizens seeking family reunification with Swiss residents. 

READ MORE: Five border crossings between Geneva and France re-open

But border controls will remain in place until further notice, and tourists and cross-border shoppers will still be banned from entering Switzerland

So far, approximately 56,000 people have been turned away from the Swiss borders since their closing, while 150 fines have been issued for breaching restrictions. 

 

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