The Italian government decided to impose mandatory vaccination for all people over 50 years of age due to the sharp increase in COVID-19 infections.
“We want to slow down the contagion curve and encourage Italians who have not yet been vaccinated to do so“Said Prime Minister Mario Draghi, during the council of ministers that approved the measure, according to a statement.
“We intervene particularly in the age ranges with the highest risk of being hospitalized to reduce hospital pressure and save lives”He added.
The government’s decision implies, in practice, an obligation to be vaccinated for all those over 50 years of age, both those who do not work and those who work in the public and private sectors.
The vaccination passport, known in Italy as “reinforced sanitary pass”, It can only be obtained after a complete vaccination cycle or after having passed COVID-19.
The government statement specifies that the measure will take effect from February 15.
Italy has 59 million inhabitants, of which 28 million are over 50 years old, according to the National Institute of Statistics.
“I believe that mandatory vaccination should be extended to everyone, or at least to all adults. So i see it positive”Declared Emilio Santamaria, an employee, on Wednesday night in a square in the center of Rome.
As of January 10, a vaccination pass will be requested to access transport, hotels, restaurant terraces, fairs, congresses, swimming pools and sports halls, as decided by the government on December 29.
Until now, to take the train or the plane, you only needed a health passport “basic”, Which could be obtained after being vaccinated or presenting a negative test.
The vaccination passport is already required for some sectors such as health personnel or schools, and the forces of order.
Like its neighbors, infections are on the rise in Italy due to the omicron variant. On Wednesday, the country registered more than 189,000 infections. On Tuesday it was more than 170,000. In total, there are more than 1.4 million positive people in Italy today.
Italy was the first European country affected by the pandemic and recorded more than 138,000 deaths since the beginning of 2020.
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