Starting Tuesday, all Italian employees in the public or private sector aged 50 and older will have to show proof of COVID-19 vaccination via the country’s “super green pass” in order to enter their workplace.

The “super” green pass—a type of vaccine passport—is also required to enter most venues in Italy.

The vaccination requirement, which was announced in a rule that was published on Jan. 7, is enforced on anyone living in Italy aged 50 and older or anyone slated to turn 50 by June 15, according to The Local. The rule applies to foreign nationals, freelance workers, and unemployed individuals.

An Italian woman who is not vaccinated said that new social norms have emerged over the last few months, essentially targeting unvaccinated people.

“People won’t say hello to me anymore on the street,” Patrizia Bianco, 55, told The Wall Street Journal in January. “If I take a step towards them, they take a step back. It’s sad.”

Those who are not vaccinated and enter their workplace can face fines worth 600 euros ($680) and 1,500 euros ($1,700), according to the decree. Repeat violations mean those fines are doubled, and employers who don’t enforce state rules are also subject to fines between 400 euros ($455) and 1,000 euros ($1,135).

Studies have shown that the Omicron COVID-19 variant and sub-variant impact fully vaccinated and boosted individuals, as well as unvaccinated people. For example, a paper published by the University of Copenhagen, the Technical University of Denmark, and Statens Serum Institut in late January found that the BA.2 subvariant infects people regardless of vaccination status.

Meanwhile, Italy’s COVID-19 infection numbers have plummeted in recent weeks. About 51,000 new cases were reported on Sunday, as compared with more than 62,000 reported a week prior, according to the ANSA news agency.

Despite the falling case numbers, Health Minister Roberto Speranza told Italian media over the weekend that “we must still insist on vaccination” for people aged 50 and older. “The more we dry out the unvaccinated areas the safer the country is,” he added.

“The requirement for over-50s is a correct decision that puts us in a position to look to the coming months with greater confidence,” Speranza said, without making note of natural immunity or the apparent ease in which the Omicron variant and subvariant infects fully vaccinated individuals.

In nearby Austria, the president earlier this month signed a bill into law that requires compulsory vaccinations for all adults, aged 18 and older with few exceptions. Those who are found to not have proof of vaccination or exemption face an initial fine of 600 euros ($680) and additional fines up to 3,600 euros ($4,100). Individuals can be fined up to four times per year, and the law will last until January 2024.

https://www.theepochtimes.com/unvaccinated-adults-aged-50-and-older-now-banned-from-work-in-italy_4281774.html