Italy announces mandatory vaccination for over-50s

Another country has announced it is making Covid-19 vaccines mandatory, saying it will “slow down the curve of contagion”.

Pedestrians wearing FFP2 protective masks walk near Duomo square in the centre of Milan on January 4, 2022. Picture: Miguel Medina/AFP

Italy has announced mandatory vaccination for over-50s, as European countries ramp up pressure on the unvaccinated and protesters continue to clash with police over draconian Covid-19 measures.

The government’s announcement comes after Austria became the first European nation to make coronavirus vaccines and boosters mandatory for all citizens in November, under threat of massive fines and imprisonment.

Germany has repeatedly flagged it will follow suit, saying mandatory vaccination is inevitable.

On Wednesday, Italy’s government said it would make vaccination against Covid-19 compulsory from February 15 for everyone over the age of 50, in a bid to battle surging infections.

“We want to slow down the curve of contagion and encourage Italians who have not yet been vaccinated to do so,” Prime Minister Mario Draghi said during a cabinet meeting at which the measure was adopted, according to a statement.

“We are working in particular on the age groups that are most at risk of being hospitalised, to reduce pressure on hospital to save lives.”

People wait outside a pharmacy to get tested for Covid-19 in Rome. Picture: Filippo Monteforte/AFP

The new decree obliges people over 50 who do not work to get vaccinated, and those who do work to obtain a vaccine pass – which effectively covers all over-50s.

In another statement, the government said: “the vaccine pass will be necessary for people over 50 in the public and private sectors to access their workplace from February 15.”

Out of Italy’s 59 million people, almost half – 28 million – are over the age of 50, according to the Istat national statistics agency.

Late last month, the government said that from January 10 a vaccination pass would be required to use public transport and access hotels, restaurant terraces and gyms.

1. The only accessible shops without the so called “Green Pass” (which means double vaccination or LTF which costs 10 euro or more and cannot be self-administered in Italy) will be supermarkets and pharmacies.
🇮🇹 👀

— Antonello Guerrera (@antoguerrera) January 5, 2022

Previously a health pass giving proof of vaccination – or a recent negative test – had been required.

As in much of Western Europe, Italy has seen its Covid-19 cases soar in recent days, recording 189,000 new cases on Wednesday, up from more than 170,000 on Tuesday.

A total of 1.4 million people are currently positive in the country. Italy was the European country first hit by the pandemic in early 2020 and still has one of the highest death tolls, at more than 138,000.

It comes after France’s President Emmanuel Macron came under fire from political opponents earlier this week for inflammatory comments describing the unvaccinated as “no longer citizens”.

Staff at a Covid-19 intensive care unit at The Institute of Clinical Cardiology. Picture: Alberto Pizzoli/AFP

In an interview with Le Parisien newspaper, he warned millions of unvaccinated French people that they would be squeezed out of public life.

“As for the non-vaccinated, I really want to piss them off,” he said. “And so we will continue to do so, to the bitter end. That’s the strategy.”

That would mean “limiting as much as possible their access to activities in social life”.

“If your freedom threatens others’ freedom, you become irresponsible,” he said. “And irresponsible people are no longer citizens.”

Under France’s planned crackdown, slated to begin on January 15, unvaccinated people could be barred from entering restaurants, bars and other public venues.

If adopted, the bill will replace the current health pass system, which recognises people who have recovered from Covid-19.

2022-01-02 +++ Amsterdam +++ #2januariamsterdam#klaarmetrutte#wef#eindelockdownnu#Museumplein#StopQR#HoldTheLine#NoThankYou#NoVaccinePassport#coronaprotest#COVID19pic.twitter.com/9E4ldQnTvI

— Guerrilla Reporters (@GuerrillaRepor1) January 2, 2022

Meanwhile, thousands of demonstrators again took to the streets in the Netherlands on Sunday to oppose lockdowns and vaccinations.

Footage showed riot police in the capital Amsterdam brutally attacking protesters with batons and dogs.

Police later confirmed at least 30 people were detained, with four officers injured in the clashes.

The protests, which were declared to be in breach of public health orders, came amid the country’s latest snap lockdown brought in on December 14.

“The Netherlands is again shutting down,” Prime Minister Mark Rutte said at a news conference last month.

“That is unavoidable because of the fifth wave that is coming at us with the Omicron variant.”

– with AFP