MILAN: Italy is making life more uncomfortable for unvaccinated people as the holidays draw closer, locking them out of indoor restaurants, theaters and museums to reduce the spread of the coronavirus and giving vaccine skeptics their Getting the shots is encouraged.
From Monday through January 15, Italian police can check whether diners at restaurants or bars have a “super” green health pass certifying that they have either been vaccinated or have recently contracted the virus. have recovered. Intelligent Phone applications that check the status of people’s health passes will be updated and those who have tested negative for COVID-19 in recent days will no longer be allowed in concerts, movies or performances.
The number of new COVID-19 infections in Italy has been rising slowly over the past six weeks, even before concerns arose about the new Omicron variant. This is a worrying trend as Italians plan holiday parties and getaways to spend time with friends and family. Christmas travel and holiday gatherings were strictly limited due to a huge increase in infections last year.
While both Germany and Austria are moving towards making vaccines mandatory, Italy is instead tightening restrictions on the unvaccinated at the most favorable time of year – while allowing vaccinated people to live more or less normal lives. Is allowed.
Italy’s vaccination rate is higher than that of many of its neighbours, with 85% of the eligible population aged 12 and over and 77% of the total population. But people in their 30s, 40s and 50s have proved most reluctant to be vaccinated, with about 3.5 million still not receiving their first dose.
According to the head of Italy’s National Institute of Health, Silvio Brusaferro, they also belong to the same age group that is now being most affected by the virus.
Also starting Monday, people must have a health pass to access local public transport and stay in hotels – which can be obtained even with a recent negative test. In MilanThe prefect said that health passes would be checked before people were allowed to board the metro or buses.
With the holiday shopping season heating up, many cities, including Rome and Milan, have ordered masks to be made mandatory outside as well.
Public health officials say vaccination, along with prudent public behavior including wearing a mask in crowds, is the key to reducing infection levels as the winter season pushes more activities indoors. They attribute Italy’s relatively high level of vaccination as a reason why the infection curve is not as sharp as last winter, when widespread restrictions were imposed with the spread of the delta variant.
“It is clear that two years after the pandemic, we cannot easily close schools for physical classes and shut down economic activities,” he said. Gianni Reza, Director of Prevention of the Ministry of Health.
“So, you can try to contain the virus with containment measures, and with proper use of health passes. Then the big bet is on vaccination,” he said.
From Monday through January 15, Italian police can check whether diners at restaurants or bars have a “super” green health pass certifying that they have either been vaccinated or have recently contracted the virus. have recovered. Intelligent Phone applications that check the status of people’s health passes will be updated and those who have tested negative for COVID-19 in recent days will no longer be allowed in concerts, movies or performances.
The number of new COVID-19 infections in Italy has been rising slowly over the past six weeks, even before concerns arose about the new Omicron variant. This is a worrying trend as Italians plan holiday parties and getaways to spend time with friends and family. Christmas travel and holiday gatherings were strictly limited due to a huge increase in infections last year.
While both Germany and Austria are moving towards making vaccines mandatory, Italy is instead tightening restrictions on the unvaccinated at the most favorable time of year – while allowing vaccinated people to live more or less normal lives. Is allowed.
Italy’s vaccination rate is higher than that of many of its neighbours, with 85% of the eligible population aged 12 and over and 77% of the total population. But people in their 30s, 40s and 50s have proved most reluctant to be vaccinated, with about 3.5 million still not receiving their first dose.
According to the head of Italy’s National Institute of Health, Silvio Brusaferro, they also belong to the same age group that is now being most affected by the virus.
Also starting Monday, people must have a health pass to access local public transport and stay in hotels – which can be obtained even with a recent negative test. In MilanThe prefect said that health passes would be checked before people were allowed to board the metro or buses.
With the holiday shopping season heating up, many cities, including Rome and Milan, have ordered masks to be made mandatory outside as well.
Public health officials say vaccination, along with prudent public behavior including wearing a mask in crowds, is the key to reducing infection levels as the winter season pushes more activities indoors. They attribute Italy’s relatively high level of vaccination as a reason why the infection curve is not as sharp as last winter, when widespread restrictions were imposed with the spread of the delta variant.
“It is clear that two years after the pandemic, we cannot easily close schools for physical classes and shut down economic activities,” he said. Gianni Reza, Director of Prevention of the Ministry of Health.
“So, you can try to contain the virus with containment measures, and with proper use of health passes. Then the big bet is on vaccination,” he said.
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