Austrian borders with Czech Republic, Slovakia and Hungary to reopen June 15

Austria's borders with the Czech Republic, Slovakia, and Hungary will fully reopen on June 15, the interior ministry said on Saturday, extending an easing of border controls to its eastern neighbors previously agreed with many of its neighbors to the west. The announcement follows a previously coordinated step to fully remove barriers on travel between Germany, Austria, Switzerland, and Liechtenstein from June 15 onwards and ease restrictions on who is allowed transit in the meantime. Restrictions remain in place for transit from Italy.

"Our goal is to have as much freedom as possible and as few restrictions as necessary," the country's interior, foreign, and European ministers said in a joint statement. "These easings create a bit more normality for people in the border region and make it easier for commuters to lead a smoother everyday life." The European Union on Wednesday pushed to reopen internal borders and restart travel but recommended Europe's external borders remain closed for most travel at least until mid-June.