Draghi appeals to Italians to get vaccinated.
The Italian government will extend the scope of its “Green Passport” from August 6th under a new decree outlined by Prime Minister Mario Draghi yesterday evening.
The extended Green Pass is required for serving at indoor tables in restaurants and bars as well as for access to museums, cinemas, gyms, swimming pools and sports stadiums.
The pass is not required for the consumption of food and drinks at tables outside or standing at the bar.
Contrary to earlier speculations in the media, the Green Passport is not required – at least for the time being – in local and long-distance public transport and on domestic flights.
Night clubs will also remain closed for the foreseeable future and it has not yet been decided whether or not the pass will be required at work.
The Green Pass, which has been in use in Italy since June, shows that people have been vaccinated, tested negative or recovered from Covid-19, with the certificate available in both digital and paper formats.
So far, the “certificazione verde” is only required for international travel in Europe as well as for access to nursing homes and major events such as concerts, football matches or weddings.
Delta variant
The decision to extend the scope of the Green Pass, which does not apply to children under 12, is made amid a resurgence of Covid-19 infections in Italy fueled by the Delta variant.
“The Green Pass is essential if we are to keep business open,” Draghi said, adding that Italy’s economy is recovering and growing, but the Delta variant is a threat.
“Without a vaccination, everything has to be closed again,” emphasized the Prime Minister: “An appeal not to be vaccinated is an appeal to die.”
The owners and employees of companies for which the Green Pass is valid have the task of checking whether the persons are in possession of the Verde certificate.
Punish
In the event of a violation, both the owner and the customer face fines between 400 and 1000 euros. If the violation is repeated three times on three different days, the business can be closed for 1 to 10 days.
The new decree will also change the parameters for the color-coded system of coronavirus restrictions in Italy, shifting the focus from the number of Covid cases to the number of hospitalized patients.
schools
The move was announced by Health Minister Roberto Speranza, who said keeping schools open was an “absolute priority” for the government and urged the 15 percent of unvaccinated teachers to get the vaccine.
Emergency
In addition, the government will extend the country’s Covid-19 exemption law after it expires next week and maintain it until the end of this year.
Details about the Green Pass can be found – in Italian – on the website of the Certificazione Verde, while official information on the Covid-19 situation in Italy can be found – in English – on the website of the Ministry of Health.
Photo The newspaper.