After his government approved restrictions on unvaccinated citizens, Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi urged all Italians to get the Covid-19 vaccine as it is working to curb the recurrence of infection.
Draghi said at a press conference on Thursday that the country needs to act quickly to avoid the level of infection seen in the UK and elsewhere. Europe, And protecting the economy.
Starting from August 5th, only a “green pass” can be used to enter stadiums, museums, theaters, cinemas, exhibition centers, swimming pools and stadiums.
This pass is an extension of the EU digital Covid certificate and also requires dining in indoor restaurants.
Nightclubs will remain closed, and the proposal to hold a permit to travel on trains, planes or long-distance buses in the country is expected to be re-evaluated in September.
Draghi said that since Italy began to relax its lockdown restrictions at the end of April, Italy’s economy has been improving, while at the same time speeding up the vaccine program, resulting in a sharp drop in Covid-related deaths and hospitalizations.
“But the Delta variant is threatening. It spreads faster than other variants,” he said. “I invite all Italians to get vaccinated and get vaccinated immediately. If not vaccinated, we will have to close everything again.”
For people who are fully vaccinated, the green pass will be valid 14 days after the second vaccination and will be valid for 9 months.This after Anyone who provides a negative test certificate within 48 hours before visiting any restricted activity, and those who have recovered from Covid-19, can also use it.
On Thursday, Italy recorded 5,057 new coronavirus infections, mainly caused by the Delta variant, compared to 4,259 the day before. The death toll related to Covid increased by 15 people, bringing the total death toll to 127,920, which is the highest number of deaths in Europe after the United Kingdom.
The celebrations after Italy’s victory at the 2020 European Football Championship are believed to be one of the reasons for the recent surge in infections, especially in Rome, where cases have increased fivefold since July 11.
As of Thursday, 52.83% of the population has been fully vaccinated. However, bookings for vaccinations have slowed in recent weeks, either because young people postpone the vaccine until after the summer vacation, or those who decide not to vaccinate.
Italy has a small but massive anti-vaccine movement. In recent months, the movement has staged several protests against the Green Pass initiative.
The far-right parties have been opposed to the plan. Giorgia Meloni, who leads the opposition Italian Brotherhood, said on Thursday that this would “kill the tourist season.”
The far-right party, the main partner of Draghi’s government, and the leader of the German Federal League, Matteo Salvini, said earlier this week that the green pass is “suitable for stadiums, but not for pizza.”
The government is also expected to reintroduce a layered, color-coded restriction system for 20 regions in Italy, but the decision will be based on the number of people hospitalized or receiving intensive care due to Covid-19 in each region rather than the number of infections.
Italy’s state of emergency has given the central government greater powers—such as imposing a blockade—that has been extended to the end of the year.
