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Indoor spaces will be off limits to non-vaccinated people in Italy

Italy restricts access to non-vaccinated in public life

Italy restricts access to non-vaccinated in public life

The new rules remove the validity of negative PCR tests for entry to venues and transport

Italy has pushed a new frontier in its restrictions with new requirements that will only accept certificates that proves vaccination or recovery status. The new measures will enter into force from 6 December and for the time being, will last until 15 January 2022.

What’s more, the validity of the green certificates will be reduced from 12 to 9 months. Booster shots are now available to all people above the age of 18 and it is highly recommended for people to get one if they would like their certificate to be valid.

Doing the utmost to avoid complete lockdown

The above means that non-vaccinated people will not be able to access restaurants, bars, theatres, cinema and even public transport, though there is recognition that during rush hour it may be hard to enforce the rules on crowded vehicles.

The government explained that the measures were actually not meant to be punitive. In fact, introducing them was seen as the only way to avoid a total lockdown like the one that neighbouring Austria had to implement.

"We are seeing the situation in bordering countries is very serious and we also see that the situation in Italy is gradually but constantly getting worse," Prime Minister Mario Draghi told reporters after the cabinet approved the new rules, as cited by Reuters. Mr Draghi has already received his booster shot.

The government also extended mandatory vaccination, already in force for healthcare workers, to all school staff, police and the military, beginning from 15 December. The authorities, however, stopped short of making vaccination compulsory all around.

Although Italy is one of the EU countries with the highest COVID vaccination rates, with more than 75% of people having received the jab, it may still not be enough. A new wave has started to creep in and this time the government is not taking any chances.

Last year, during the winter holiday season, lockdowns were in place, including restrictions on travelling between regions. This year, it is already clear that Italians will once again not be able to have a normal Christmas. This time the lines have been drawn between those who are vaccinated and those who aren’t rather than between the different territories.

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