Central, Eastern European Countries Maintain Tough Travel Restrictions

Tight restrictions on foreign travel and on entry to countries remain in place in Eastern, Central and Southeastern Europe.  Serbia, Croatia and Hungary are the only countries that have announced specific measures for foreign travelers entering their countries.

Serbia on Monday said it will allow in foreigners who can show a PCR test not older than 72 hours. "Those who come to Serbia will have to have a [negative result on a] PCR test not older than 72 hours; if they do not have it, they will have to go into self-isolation if it is our citizen, or isolation with health supervision for a foreign citizen," epidemiologist Predrag Kon, a member of Serbia's Crisis Staff, told media on Monday.

Those who test negative do not have to be supervised, Kon said. He added that it had yet to be decided where people would be tested or how much it will cost.

In Croatia, the National Civil Protection Authority, which has started the third phase of lifting preventative measures, on May 9 issued a decision allowing Croatian citizens to go abroad, and foreign citizens to enter Croatia - but only for economic or urgent personal reasons.

Crossing the border requires adherence to epidemiological recommendations, but citizens will no longer have to isolate themselves after entering the country.

This relaxation only applies to Member States of the European Union. Entry from third countries into EU territory is prohibited until 15 June. "As part of all this, special bilateral talks with single countries are possible," Croatian Interior Minister Davor Bozinovic said on Saturday.

Epidemiological measures are being tightened on the southern island of Brac after it became a new hotspot for the coronavirus, with 41 confirmed cases. Residents of the Island...