Covid-19 Travel Restrictions

[OTB]

Thanks Winston for the info. I was looking into Italy and Greece earlier this year. I think Italy would be amazing to explore. But the tickets are pretty steep all the way until the end of the year.

[publicduende]

Italy now has no covid entry restrictions.

https://www.traveloffpath.com/italy-rem ... ts-june-1/

Wow @publicduende your country is now free. Lol

LOL free @Winston...we still have a bucketload of problems.

This one, for example. We are the only country in the EU where salaries in the past 30 years have not only not been growing to catch up with the minimum of 2-3% yearly inflation, but actually shrunk!

[Winston]

So are all Covid restrictions lifted now and all travel bans gone? That means the pandemic is over right?

[galii]

Italy now has no covid entry restrictions.

https://www.traveloffpath.com/italy-rem ... ts-june-1/

Wow @publicduende your country is now free. Lol

LOL free @Winston...we still have a bucketload of problems.

This one, for example. We are the only country in the EU where salaries in the past 30 years have not only not been growing to catch up with the minimum of 2-3% yearly inflation, but actually shrunk!

You have your right wing government you were praying for. Where is your party?

AI says:

Military strength: Italy has the fourth-largest military in the European Union and the tenth-largest in the world, according to the Global Firepower ranking for 20231. Italy has a total of 1,850,000 military personnel, including active, reserve and paramilitary forces1. Italy also has a diverse and modern arsenal of weapons, such as aircraft carriers, submarines, fighter jets, tanks and helicopters1.
Health system: Italy has a universal health care system that provides free or low-cost access to a wide range of services, from primary care to specialized treatments2. Italy ranks second in the world for health care quality, according to the Euro Health Consumer Index 20222. Italy also has one of the highest life expectancies in the world, at 83.6 years2.
Culture and tourism: Italy is a global leader in culture and tourism, with a rich heritage of art, literature, music, cuisine and fashion. Italy has the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world, with 55 sites of outstanding cultural or natural value3. Italy also attracts more than 40 million tourists each year, making it the fifth-most visited country in the world3.
Innovation and creativity: Italy is a hub of innovation and creativity, with a strong tradition of design, engineering and entrepreneurship. Italy ranks ninth in the world for innovation performance, according to the Global Innovation Index 20224. Italy also ranks sixth in the world for creative goods exports, such as fashion, furniture, jewelry and ceramics4.
These are just some of the fields where Italy excels compared to other European countries. Italy is a country that has many challenges, but also many opportunities and achievements to be proud of.

[publicduende]

Military strength: Italy has the fourth-largest military in the European Union and the tenth-largest in the world, according to the Global Firepower ranking for 20231. Italy has a total of 1,850,000 military personnel, including active, reserve and paramilitary forces1. Italy also has a diverse and modern arsenal of weapons, such as aircraft carriers, submarines, fighter jets, tanks and helicopters1.
Health system: Italy has a universal health care system that provides free or low-cost access to a wide range of services, from primary care to specialized treatments2. Italy ranks second in the world for health care quality, according to the Euro Health Consumer Index 20222. Italy also has one of the highest life expectancies in the world, at 83.6 years2.
Culture and tourism: Italy is a global leader in culture and tourism, with a rich heritage of art, literature, music, cuisine and fashion. Italy has the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world, with 55 sites of outstanding cultural or natural value3. Italy also attracts more than 40 million tourists each year, making it the fifth-most visited country in the world3.
Innovation and creativity: Italy is a hub of innovation and creativity, with a strong tradition of design, engineering and entrepreneurship. Italy ranks ninth in the world for innovation performance, according to the Global Innovation Index 20224. Italy also ranks sixth in the world for creative goods exports, such as fashion, furniture, jewelry and ceramics4.
These are just some of the fields where Italy excels compared to other European countries. Italy is a country that has many challenges, but also many opportunities and achievements to be proud of.

Military strength: we have always been much better at manufacturing military equipment, from pistols to assault helicopters, than soldiers. Not sure if this something to be proud of.

Health system: that's something we used to be proud about, the second best public health care system, after France. This was up until the mid 80s, though, when economic output and taxation could still cover for its massive costs. Nowadays it's a lot more budget-conscious and it's dropped down to maybe top 20. If you have cancer and you're waiting for the public system to operate you, chances are you will be dead by months before the call!

Culture and tourism: still sitting on laurels of incredible feats of culture, sciences and arts from hundreds of years ago. If you look at modern sciences and arts, we still do well, but we're not special, not even within the core Euro countries.

Innovation and creativity: we are a generation brought up and nested in beauty. Yet, one needs to be trained to see and appreciate beauty, otherwise they will be the same kids populating UK or US ghettos. This is exactly what's happening in Italy, right now. Plus, every new generation growin up more and more coddled and spoiled by permissive parents and an emasculated school system. When I was a kid, when the teacher summoned up my parents because I had a bad grade, it was humiliation in front of her, then my Dad would beat me up once at home.

Now if a kid gets a bad grade, it's the parents who turn up to the teacher like feral beasts, belittling her and threatening to sue her for her lack of understanding of their "genius son".

Collapse is nigh and Italy aint' gonna be no exception.

P.S. f**k ChatGPT and its wokeness.

[Natural_Born_Cynic]

Military strength: Italy has the fourth-largest military in the European Union and the tenth-largest in the world, according to the Global Firepower ranking for 20231. Italy has a total of 1,850,000 military personnel, including active, reserve and paramilitary forces1. Italy also has a diverse and modern arsenal of weapons, such as aircraft carriers, submarines, fighter jets, tanks and helicopters1.
Health system: Italy has a universal health care system that provides free or low-cost access to a wide range of services, from primary care to specialized treatments2. Italy ranks second in the world for health care quality, according to the Euro Health Consumer Index 20222. Italy also has one of the highest life expectancies in the world, at 83.6 years2.
Culture and tourism: Italy is a global leader in culture and tourism, with a rich heritage of art, literature, music, cuisine and fashion. Italy has the most UNESCO World Heritage Sites in the world, with 55 sites of outstanding cultural or natural value3. Italy also attracts more than 40 million tourists each year, making it the fifth-most visited country in the world3.
Innovation and creativity: Italy is a hub of innovation and creativity, with a strong tradition of design, engineering and entrepreneurship. Italy ranks ninth in the world for innovation performance, according to the Global Innovation Index 20224. Italy also ranks sixth in the world for creative goods exports, such as fashion, furniture, jewelry and ceramics4.
These are just some of the fields where Italy excels compared to other European countries. Italy is a country that has many challenges, but also many opportunities and achievements to be proud of.

Military strength: we have always been much better at manufacturing military equipment, from pistols to assault helicopters, than soldiers. Not sure if this something to be proud of.

Health system: that's something we used to be proud about, the second best public health care system, after France. This was up until the mid 80s, though, when economic output and taxation could still cover for its massive costs. Nowadays it's a lot more budget-conscious and it's dropped down to maybe top 20. If you have cancer and you're waiting for the public system to operate you, chances are you will be dead by months before the call!

Culture and tourism: still sitting on laurels of incredible feats of culture, sciences and arts from hundreds of years ago. If you look at modern sciences and arts, we still do well, but we're not special, not even within the core Euro countries.

Innovation and creativity: we are a generation brought up and nested in beauty. Yet, one needs to be trained to see and appreciate beauty, otherwise they will be the same kids populating UK or US ghettos. This is exactly what's happening in Italy, right now. Plus, every new generation growin up more and more coddled and spoiled by permissive parents and an emasculated school system. When I was a kid, when the teacher summoned up my parents because I had a bad grade, it was humiliation in front of her, then my Dad would beat me up once at home.

Now if a kid gets a bad grade, it's the parents who turn up to the teacher like feral beasts, belittling her and threatening to sue her for her lack of understanding of their "genius son".

Collapse is nigh and Italy aint' gonna be no exception.

P.S. f**k ChatGPT and its wokeness.

@publicduende

Damn that sucks. Italy isn't what it used to be.
I know that Italy's manufacturing got butchered in the 90's because they can't price depreciate their currency anymore and have to use the Euro, giving the rein to Germany.
Surprised that Italian education system gone "Woke" or going into the same direction as American one.
And why Italy need big military? No body is invading Italy soon except the Illegal horde of African and Muslim people from the South?

But at least your food is great compare to" Franken GMO dog food", and "high fructose corn syrup on everything" they feed you in America and you guys are sitting on 1000 year old worth of historical sites. And at least Italian Mamas love their son. Their son still live with Mama and dad even after 40 years old. Some positives I guess..

[publicduende]

Damn that sucks. Italy isn't what it used to be.
I know that Italy's manufacturing got butchered in the 90's because they can't price depreciate their currency anymore and have to use the Euro, giving the rein to Germany.

That is absolutely correct, @Natural_Born_Cynic, kudos for doing some research. We used to manufacture at the same quality levels as Germany, maybe a 10% less. However, we could depreciate our Lira and people would flock to buy our stuff. This all changed with the Euro, We replaced local manufacturing capacity with outsourced one and, when profits stopped, we were told that "being in the Euro, now we could get indebted at the same interest rate as Germany". Many once healthy companies found themselves outpaced by French and German equivalent, plus full of debt. And, unlike the "oh so virtuous" France and Germany, none of our "family jewels" received bailouts from the Government.

Surprised that Italian education system gone "Woke" or going into the same direction as American one.

We are just followers in the path to destruction. Traditional family might still exist, in some pockets, and be an inertial force. Yet, my impression is that it's too little, too late.

And why Italy need big military? No body is invading Italy soon except the Illegal horde of African and Muslim people from the South?

It's not just our pocket money. Practically since the new Republic was born, in 1946, Americans and NATO poured massive military investments into Italy, considering it as the boundary between the pro-NATO Western allies and the Communist territories, and itself a country with Europe's strongest Communist party, so at risk of tipping.

But at least your food is great compare to" Franken GMO dog food", and "high fructose corn syrup on everything" they feed you in America and you guys are sitting on 1000 year old worth of historical sites. And at least Italian Mamas love their son. Their son still live with Mama and dad even after 40 years old. Some positives I guess..

We still have a tradition of good food...but at increasingly high prices. We are quickly falling into the two-tier system you have in the US, where the upper middle class, those who can spend 100s of Euros per month in groceries, will eat pretty much like everybody used to up until the 80s. The rest of us will be quickly familiarising with the same shit you have in the UK, Germany and other continental Euro countries.

[WanderingProtagonist]

None of these countries are what they use to be anymore because they let the U.S. influence them in the same idiotic governing methods. Find me one European country where the people are trying to save itself from ending up like the U.S. People in America for instance are willing to fight and kill each other over election results instead of fighting to take their country back from those who hate them enough to intentionally destroy it. Italy was a great country until they let Georgina take over...These people don't even act like Europeans. Traitors use to get punished for their actions. That doesn't seem to be the case anymore.

@Natural_Born_Cynic

[Natural_Born_Cynic]

None of these countries are what they use to be anymore because they let the U.S. influence them in the same idiotic governing methods. Find me one European country where the people are trying to save itself from ending up like the U.S. People in America for instance are willing to fight and kill each other over election results instead of fighting to take their country back from those who hate them enough to intentionally destroy it. Italy was a great country until they let Georgina take over...These people don't even act like Europeans. Traitors use to get punished for their actions. That doesn't seem to be the case anymore.

@Natural_Born_Cynic

Well Western Europe and West Germany has been under NATO since 1946 then NATO membership has expanded into Central Europe, Baltics, etc. And not to mention, the "Marshall plan" where the U.S poured tens of billions into reconstruction cost into Europe. Then you got all the smartest and ambitious Europeans emigrating to the U.S to work in Silicon Valley, Hollywood and Wall Street. Plus decades of "American Hollywood" and American corporations spreading throughout the world and over 1000 U.S military bases around the world...

What do you expect?
But I agree.. American culture is toxic waste culture with no substance. Current America has became cancer that is "metastasizing" throughout the world.

[Natural_Born_Cynic]

@publicduende

We still have a tradition of good food...but at increasingly high prices. We are quickly falling into the two-tier system you have in the US, where the upper middle class, those who can spend 100s of Euros per month in groceries, will eat pretty much like everybody used to up until the 80s. The rest of us will be quickly familiarising with the same shit you have in the UK, Germany and other continental Euro countries.

True that. It's the rich upper class Americans who gets to spend hundreds of dollars buying "organic food" every week while the masses buy
heavily processed, GMO Franken Food smeared with High Fructose Corn Syrup. If you been to the U.S then you will see lot of fat facks over 150kgs/300lbs. No joke. I believe over 1/3th of U.S adults are morbidly overweight.. It's really hard to lose weight when your body can't digest and process High fructose corn syrup and all the GMO trash in the system.

It's not just our pocket money. Practically since the new Republic was born, in 1946, Americans and NATO poured massive military investments into Italy, considering it as the boundary between the pro-NATO Western allies and the Communist territories, and itself a country with Europe's strongest Communist party, so at risk of tipping.

Well the Soviet Union collapsed around 1993.. Why don't they just disband some of their military to free up their labor force? The military doesn't make money for Italy. Are they still receiving military investment from the U.S?

We are just followers in the path to destruction. Traditional family might still exist, in some pockets, and be an inertial force. Yet, my impression is that it's too little, too late.

That sucks...bummer.

That is absolutely correct, @Natural_Born_Cynic, kudos for doing some research. We used to manufacture at the same quality levels as Germany, maybe a 10% less. However, we could depreciate our Lira and people would flock to buy our stuff. This all changed with the Euro, We replaced local manufacturing capacity with outsourced one and, when profits stopped, we were told that "being in the Euro, now we could get indebted at the same interest rate as Germany". Many once healthy companies found themselves outpaced by French and German equivalent, plus full of debt. And, unlike the "oh so virtuous" France and Germany, none of our "family jewels" received bailouts from the Government.

I appropriate your compliment. Yeah that's a big shame. Northern Italians makes things just as good as the Germans and the French.
As previously mentioned, the French are the most laziest and most blockheaded people I had ever dealt. The Italians are bit more flexible and
more nimble in my business dealings in the past. The Germans are just bunch of robots and blockheaded too. I think the Germans are bit over rated in their "German engineering".

[WanderingProtagonist]

None of these countries are what they use to be anymore because they let the U.S. influence them in the same idiotic governing methods. Find me one European country where the people are trying to save itself from ending up like the U.S. People in America for instance are willing to fight and kill each other over election results instead of fighting to take their country back from those who hate them enough to intentionally destroy it. Italy was a great country until they let Georgina take over...These people don't even act like Europeans. Traitors use to get punished for their actions. That doesn't seem to be the case anymore.

@Natural_Born_Cynic

Well Western Europe and West Germany has been under NATO since 1946 then NATO membership has expanded into Central Europe, Baltics, etc. And not to mention, the "Marshall plan" where the U.S poured tens of billions into reconstruction cost into Europe. Then you got all the smartest and ambitious Europeans emigrating to the U.S to work in Silicon Valley, Hollywood and Wall Street. Plus decades of "American Hollywood" and American corporations spreading throughout the world and over 1000 U.S military bases around the world...

What do you expect?
But I agree.. American culture is toxic waste culture with no substance. Current America has became cancer that is "metastasizing" throughout the world.

Well I'm aware that America is responsible for all of this but that's still no excuse for the people to allow this. It's obvious to me that if one country can have that much power and control, enough people should be able to see through it. It's taken Israel to kill off a bunch of people and America supplying them weapons to do it for people to see the real America. Current America is an indication that the world chooses to be intentionally weak on purpose. It's not that hard to resist shitty cultures or see that it provides no means to having a better life. American entertainment is garbage, it's government is garbage, their liberal views teaches nothing but how to hate yourself and be a victim for the rest of your f***ing damn life. I don't even care anymore about travel restrictions...I've made up my mind to just stay put and deal with the demise since the West owns the world anyway...People lived through hardships and turmoil before, even the dark ages weren't great. The truth is the citizens have a lot of power, more than their own governments. That's the whole reason why they want a lower IQ population....I get tired of repeating myself so I should just leave this shit alone. It was better when I was a child and didn't know what hopelessness felt like.

[Natural_Born_Cynic]

None of these countries are what they use to be anymore because they let the U.S. influence them in the same idiotic governing methods. Find me one European country where the people are trying to save itself from ending up like the U.S. People in America for instance are willing to fight and kill each other over election results instead of fighting to take their country back from those who hate them enough to intentionally destroy it. Italy was a great country until they let Georgina take over...These people don't even act like Europeans. Traitors use to get punished for their actions. That doesn't seem to be the case anymore.

@Natural_Born_Cynic

Well Western Europe and West Germany has been under NATO since 1946 then NATO membership has expanded into Central Europe, Baltics, etc. And not to mention, the "Marshall plan" where the U.S poured tens of billions into reconstruction cost into Europe. Then you got all the smartest and ambitious Europeans emigrating to the U.S to work in Silicon Valley, Hollywood and Wall Street. Plus decades of "American Hollywood" and American corporations spreading throughout the world and over 1000 U.S military bases around the world...

What do you expect?
But I agree.. American culture is toxic waste culture with no substance. Current America has became cancer that is "metastasizing" throughout the world.

Well I'm aware that America is responsible for all of this but that's still no excuse for the people to allow this. It's obvious to me that if one country can have that much power and control, enough people should be able to see through it. It's taken Israel to kill off a bunch of people and America supplying them weapons to do it for people to see the real America. Current America is an indication that the world chooses to be intentionally weak on purpose. It's not that hard to resist shitty cultures or see that it provides no means to having a better life. American entertainment is garbage, it's government is garbage, their liberal views teaches nothing but how to hate yourself and be a victim for the rest of your f***ing damn life. I don't even care anymore about travel restrictions...I've made up my mind to just stay put and deal with the demise since the West owns the world anyway...People lived through hardships and turmoil before, even the dark ages weren't great. The truth is the citizens have a lot of power, more than their own governments. That's the whole reason why they want a lower IQ population....I get tired of repeating myself so I should just leave this shit alone. It was better when I was a child and didn't know what hopelessness felt like.

Don't know.. People got too complacent and turned into brainwashed sheep. The masses are asses. As long as they are materially fulfilled and live in fantasyland. They can roll around in filth like a pig and still think they are living in the greatest country in the world, *cough* America. Thanks to decades of systematic brainwashing since birth to death. I sometime think I stepped into the wrong planet or dimension. D'oh!

[publicduende]

I appropriate your compliment. Yeah that's a big shame. Northern Italians makes things just as good as the Germans and the French.
As previously mentioned, the French are the most laziest and most blockheaded people I had ever dealt. The Italians are bit more flexible and
more nimble in my business dealings in the past. The Germans are just bunch of robots and blockheaded too. I think the Germans are bit over rated in their "German engineering".

What is produced by each of France, Germany and Italy is the product of their respective eduication systems.

Ever since Napoleon and his elite Engineering schools linked to the miltary (they invented the term "engineer" to mean a scientist or technician lent to military activities), France has always produced Europe's finest engineers and scientist. The problem: their education system is too elitary and, for the lucky few who get educated to the highest standards (and for free!) in those schools, there are millions who come out of grossly underfunded institutions that teach them next to nothing.

Italy has an education system similar to France, but much more democratic. We might produce scientists and engineer who are, say, 75% as good as the French ones. However, we produce 10, 20 times their numbers. The real shame is that there are not enough jobs or business opportunities for these people to shine, so most of them end up abroad, quickly reaching top of their profession and benefiting foreign countries/institutions. One of my high school mates is a world reknown Nanotechnologist, Director of a prestigious center at EPFL (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne). Italy-schooled, PhD in US, then off to Switzerland.

Germany's university system, on the other hand, isn't as good as France and Italy. However, they have always boasted excellent vocational schools, where kids could graduate at 17/18 with strong experience in a modern craft, e.g. laser welding. This is how they fed one the world's biggest manufacturing bases.

[Yohan]

This thread is about covid-19 restriction for tourists travelling abroad.

https://www.mofa.go.jp/ca/fna/page4e_001053.html

Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Japan

3. Quarantine measures (New)

From 0:00 am (JST) on April 29, 2023, about all travelers and returnees (NEW)
(1) All travelers and returnees will no longer be required to submit either a certificate of negative result of COVID-19 test conducted within 72 hours prior to departure, or a valid COVID-19 vaccination certificate of three doses or equivalent.

(2) Currently implemented measures including random sampling test which are provisional measures for all travelers and returnees arriving from China (excluding Hong Kong and Macau) by direct flights, will be replaced to the testing on arrival required to those who show symptoms, which is the same measure applied to all other travelers and returnees.

[Natural_Born_Cynic]

I appropriate your compliment. Yeah that's a big shame. Northern Italians makes things just as good as the Germans and the French.
As previously mentioned, the French are the most laziest and most blockheaded people I had ever dealt. The Italians are bit more flexible and
more nimble in my business dealings in the past. The Germans are just bunch of robots and blockheaded too. I think the Germans are bit over rated in their "German engineering".

What is produced by each of France, Germany and Italy is the product of their respective eduication systems.

Ever since Napoleon and his elite Engineering schools linked to the miltary (they invented the term "engineer" to mean a scientist or technician lent to military activities), France has always produced Europe's finest engineers and scientist. The problem: their education system is too elitary and, for the lucky few who get educated to the highest standards (and for free!) in those schools, there are millions who come out of grossly underfunded institutions that teach them next to nothing.

Italy has an education system similar to France, but much more democratic. We might produce scientists and engineer who are, say, 75% as good as the French ones. However, we produce 10, 20 times their numbers. The real shame is that there are not enough jobs or business opportunities for these people to shine, so most of them end up abroad, quickly reaching top of their profession and benefiting foreign countries/institutions. One of my high school mates is a world reknown Nanotechnologist, Director of a prestigious center at EPFL (Swiss Federal Institute of Technology Lausanne). Italy-schooled, PhD in US, then off to Switzerland.

Germany's university system, on the other hand, isn't as good as France and Italy. However, they have always boasted excellent vocational schools, where kids could graduate at 17/18 with strong experience in a modern craft, e.g. laser welding. This is how they fed one the world's biggest manufacturing bases.

You mean the "Grande école" ? That's where all the French politicians, CEOs, and Head Engineers came from.
My experience is based on shipping Lines that I worked with. I guess what your say about each nation's education system are reflected into the workforce.

Most of the French people I worked with, CMA CGM(French Shipping Line), are stupid bastards and snails. I wanted to strangle them with an electrical code, metaphorically speaking. I guess "they" are not from Grande ecole? Just regular sh*tty underfunded French university.

The Italians don't have a shipping Line, but the one I visited in the past, a Italian freight forwarding company near Milan was pretty good. I have good experience with them.

The German Shipping Line, Hapag Lloyd, is one level better than CMA CGM, but the Germans are not as flexible and accommodating as the Italians. They are all "By the Rule Book" and sometime those bastards like to "over charge" or put in "additional charged" in shipments. So much for German honesty. And some Germans, especially German men are total assholes. German women are just dead silent and cold.

The same can be said for German freight forwarder, Carl Hartmann. Total bastards. They overcharge and they do inferior, cr@ppy job with packing customers stuff. They use cheap ass cardboard box which cause all the boxes to flatten and bend, causing customer's household goods lot of damage. Total kaka. I guess their vocational training didn't cover how to handle customer's cargo properly did they? German efficiency my ass.