Italians Face €1,000 Fines for Not Presenting Vaccine Passport

Italians who refuse to present the coronavirus vaccine passport known as the “Green Pass” when required could face fines of as much as €1,000.

Since September 1st, the Green Pass, which requires proof of vaccination, proof of recovery from the coronavirus, or a negative test within the last 48 hours, will be required for those boarding aeroplanes, high-speed trains, ships, and buses, as well as for various indoor activities including dining.

Passengers aboard buses, airlines, and ships will be required to present their Green Pass at the time of boarding or not be allowed to depart. High-speed train passengers will be required to present the pass during their journey or face €400 (£344/$474) to €1,000 (£860/$1,185) fines for refusal, forced into an isolated area of the train, and then made to get off at the next station, Il Giornale reports.

For business owners who are required to check for the Green Pass, they can face fines of between €400 and €1,000 as well, but if they violate the Green Pass measures three times on three separate days, their business could be closed from one to ten days.

While customers are required to present the Green Pass, according to Il Giornale, railway staff working for the state-run company Trenitalia and staff in businesses like restaurants are not obliged to have the Green Pass to work.

Italy, one of the first countries to roll out a nationwide domestic vaccine passport programme, is not the only country to introduce large fines for those who violate the certification rules.

In France, where their “health pass” is also required for many forms of travel and various indoor activities, business owners can face even steeper fines of up to €45,000 (£38,681/$53,298) and can even receive up to a year in prison.

President Emmanuel Macron justified the vaccine passport measures, saying: “Our choice is simple: to put the restrictions on the unvaccinated rather than on all. This is the meaning of the health pass that will be extended.”

Follow Chris Tomlinson on Twitter at @TomlinsonCJ or email at ctomlinson(at)breitbart.com