Italy is tightening the corona rules: in future, every employee must present a 3-G certificate, the so-called green passport. Anyone who refuses to provide evidence of a vaccination or test will be suspended after five days and will no longer receive a salary.
Prime Minister Mario Draghi had pushed for this tough line in the fight against corona, which is unique in Europe – and in the end all of his coalition parties pulled along from left to right: In Italy, from October 15, this applies to all employees, whether in the private or public sector , the compulsory presentation of the passport.
The passport – a digital or paper certificate that proves that a person has received at least one vaccine dose, tested negative or has recently recovered – is then also required for caregivers who work for families.
In some areas, such as in schools or in health care, the green pass was already compulsory. Even if you want to go to cafes or restaurants, in theaters and cinemas or want to travel on the train, you have to show the new document. This also ends the previously controversial absurdity that all restaurant guests need the pass but the waiters do not. Violations of the new rules are to be punished severely: employers who do not carry out controls face fines of up to 1500 euros.
The goal: 80 percent vaccination rate
The unions support the introduction of the Green Pass but had urged free tests for employees. Prime Minister Draghi has refused because he believes free testing would dilute the incentive to get vaccinated. However, the government wants to ensure that the costs for Covid tests are limited to a maximum of 15 euros. The validity of the tests is also to be extended from 48 to 72 hours.
With the new measures, the government hopes to get more Italians to vaccinate. The cabinet’s goal is to reach the 80 percent vaccination rate threshold within one month. Currently, 68.4 percent of the population in Italy are completely vaccinated against Covid-19. Even if Italy is doing well in a European comparison, it is now necessary to act with foresight, it said. In the autumn, said Labor Minister Andrea Orlando, the number of infections threatens to rise again if herd immunity is not achieved by then: “We cannot afford an autumn in which the virus regains strength and we are then forced to new restrictions . “
However, the measure is hotly controversial. Recently there were violent protests against the CoV policy across the country in Italy. Demonstrations against the Green Pass have been taking place in major cities on Saturdays for two months. But the government shows no willingness to compromise, on the contrary: Prime Minister Draghi recently spoke of the possibility of mandatory vaccination.
