Around 600,000 Italians over the age of 50 are set to receive a fine for being unvaccinated despite the Italian government reviewing a loosening of various Wuhan virus restrictions.
In January, the Italian government decided to make vaccination mandatory for all residents over the age of 50, with the mandate coming into effect in February. At least 600,000 Italians have been referred to the Italian tax agency and are expected to receive a 100 euro (£84/$110) fine.
Undersecretary for Health Andrea Costa has meanwhile stated that, starting on April 1st, some coronavirus restrictions will start to ease, including the health pass system linked to vaccinations known as the Green Pass, newspaper Il Giornale reports.
“From April 1st, a new phase opens: the green pass will no longer be necessary for outdoor spaces, bars and restaurants,” Costa said, adding that the European Union member-state would “gradually come to remove all restrictions by the summer.”
The 600,000 people expected to receive a fine for being unvaccinated is well below prior estimates in late January, which suggested as many as 1.8 million Italians were at risk of being fined for not being fully vaccinated.
Fines are also set to increase for those over 50 who continue to refuse to get the vaccine, and could go as high as between 600 euros (£499/$668) and 1,500 euros (£1,248/$1,671) for those who go to work without the “super green pass” health passport — a variation of the green pass that is only given to those fully vaccinated or those recovered from the virus.
Undersecretary Costa stated that the government was considering relaxing the rules for over-50s in the workplace and allowing them to work with a basic green pass, which would allow unvaccinated people to prove they had a negative test.
Even Italian lawmakers over the age of 50 are not exempt from the vaccination rules, and several parliamentarians expressed their frustration with them last month, with one senator comparing the policy to the Fascist regime of Benito Mussolini.