Health Alert: U.S. Embassy Rome, Italy, March 15, 2020

Health Alert – U.S. Embassy Rome, Italy – March 15, 2020

Location: Italy

Event: Due to reduced staffing, only emergency American Citizen Services and emergency visa services are available at the U.S. Embassy in Rome and Consulates General Milan, Naples, and Florence.

The CDC advises travelers to avoid nonessential travel to Italy and State Department currently recommends U.S. citizens reconsider travel. See CDC information regarding high-risk traveler categories.

U.S. citizens and legal permanent residents will be permitted to return from the United Kingdom, Ireland, and the European Schengen area. The Department of Homeland Security has issued instructions requiring U.S. passengers that have been in the United Kingdom, Ireland and the Schengen area to travel through select airports where the U.S. Government has implemented enhanced screening procedures.  See the  DHS website for further details.

On March 14, the Department of State authorized the departure from any diplomatic or consular post in the world of U.S. personnel and family members who have been medically determined to be at higher risk of a poor outcome if exposed to COVID-19. See https://travel.state.gov/content/travel/en/traveladvisories/ea/travel-advisory-alert-global-level-3-health-advisory-issue.html. In areas of Italy with large numbers of COVID-19 cases, the local healthcare system is under severe strain. In the city of Milan and Lombardy region, health care authorities are unable to guarantee adequate care for COVID-19 or other emergency cases.

Public transportation including airlines, trains, and buses continue to operate, but transport links within Italy and to international destinations are increasingly limited. Travelers should check carrier schedules for the latest updates and work directly with the carrier or travel agent to arrange or reschedule travel. For further information on the status of Italian regional airports and train schedules, see www.enac.gov.it, www.trenitalia.com, and www.italotreno.it Travelers should be prepared for the possibility of additional travel restrictions to be implemented with little or no advance notice.

Actions to Take:

Call Italy’s 112 emergency number or 1500 if you believe you have symptoms and are currently in Italy. English speaking operators are available.
Consult the CDC website for the most up-to-date information on the disease.
For information on what you can do to reduce your risk of contracting COVID-19, please see the CDC’s latest recommendations.
Visit the COVID-19 crisis page on travel.state.gov for the latest information regarding foreign countries’ quarantine requirements and other global impacts.
Have a plan to depart from Italy that does not rely on U.S. government assistance.
Check with your airlines or cruise lines regarding any updated information about your travel plans and/or restrictions.
Visit our Embassy webpage on COVID-19 for information on conditions in Italy.
Visit the Department of Homeland Security’s website on the latest travel restrictions affecting travel to the U.S.
Review the Italian National Institute of Health’s website (available only in Italian).