The new decree stipulates that from 15 February, people over the age of 50 in the public and private sectors will need a Covid-19 vaccination certificate to gain access to their workplace. Other members of this age group must be vaccinated, but no specific controls or penalties are yet in place.
“We want to slow down the infection curve and encourage Italians who have not yet been vaccinated to do so,” Prime Minister Mario Dragi said at the government meeting at which the decision was made.
“We are particularly intervening in the age groups most at risk of hospitalization to reduce the pressure on clinics,” he added.
According to the Italian National Statistics Agency ISTAT, 28 million of Italy’s 59 million people are over 50 years old.
As early as the end of December, the government announced that from January 10, a vaccination certificate would be required for use in public transport or in hotels, restaurant terraces and gyms.
Until now, proof of vaccination in Italy has been required for teachers, healthcare professionals, the military, the police, and this requirement will also apply to university teachers.
In Italy, the number of new cases of Covid-19 has increased in recent days. 189,000 new cases were registered on Wednesday, and more than 170,000 on Tuesday.
At the beginning of 2020, Italy was the worst affected country in Europe by Covid-19. The number of Covid-19-related deaths in Italy since the start of the pandemic is more than 138,000, one of the highest in the world.
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