Italy to introduce vaccine passports for indoor activities as infections spike
Italy is the latest country in Europe to bring in a vaccine passport scheme for accessing indoor venues.
Infections are spiking again in the country, with the increase driven by the Delta variant.
The “green pass,” which will reflect whether a person has received at least one vaccine dose, recovered from Covid-19 in the last six months or tested negative within the past 48 hours, comes into force on 6 August.
The pass will be needed for indoor dining, gyms and theatres, as well as to attend big events such as conferences and sports games.
The idea is “to keep economic activity open”, and for Italian citizens to get back to normal life “with the assurance they won’t be next to contagious people”, said Italian prime minister Mario Draghi.
“The Italian economy is going well. It’s reviving, and Italy is growing at a rhythm superior to that of other EU nations,” the premier told reporters.
Health minister Roberto Speranza said around 40 million people in Italy had downloaded a “green pass”, which is currently required to attend weddings and visit care homes.
More than half of people in Italy older than 12 – and thus eligible for a vaccine – have received two doses, and several million more have received a first dose.
“The vaccine campaign permitted the economy to revive,” said Mr Draghi. “The first thing I have to say is to invite all Italians to get vaccinated and to do it right away.”
Italy follows European nations including France in tightening restrictions on unvaccinated people.
President Macron announced a raft of new restrictions on 12 July that will affect both unvaccinated residents and visitors to the country.
From 21 July, anyone wishing to visit a theatre, cinema, sports venue or festival that has an audience of more than 50 people needs to provide evidence in the form of a “pass sanitaire” that they are either fully vaccinated or have tested negative for Covid-19.
These restrictions will also extend to bars, cafes, restaurants, shopping centres, hospitals, long distance trains and planes from 1 August.
Additional reporting by agencies
