How long the system of “green passes” and coercive restrictions will last in Italy is still unclear, but it is definitely short-lived: there is a reasonable hope that on March 31, when the state of emergency expires, it will not be extended. The Italian government has promised to provide a timetable for easing the rules in the near future, but it has not yet been announced.
Note: Britain is ahead of the rest of the world in terms of lifting explicit restrictions, followed by Germany. Read the details in the article “Complete lifting of all restrictions: the first country in Europe to lift the pandemic.”
The first concessions in Italy were launched on February 11 – then nightclubs opened, abolished the mandatory mask regime in the open air, and so on. The next stage is scheduled for March 10 – then they promise that food and drinks will again be allowed to be consumed in cinemas and theaters, 75% of spectators will run in stadiums, and so on.
But it’s still halfway through – including for the local tourism industry. The fact is that in Italy there is a two-tier system of health certificates green pass, which means that confirmation of vaccination or recovery is now required to access everything from hotels and restaurants to public transport and even to enter most stores need confirmation. vaccination, recovery or a negative test result.
“The system of green passes can be completely abolished from March 31, when the state of emergency is due to end,” – such hopes are expressed by the Italian media. They are supported even by some officials, for example, Deputy Health Minister Andrea Costa said: “With the end of the state of emergency, a new phase will certainly begin, marked by the easing of restrictive measures.” However, some measures are likely to be maintained.
It has also been suggested that the “vaccine qualification” will be phased out, starting in early April and for the summer season, first for bars and restaurants and then for public places such as gyms, cinemas, theaters and public transport. And at what stage Italy will fully allow tourists – including from Ukraine, for example, using the method of “bypassing” the vaccine qualification, as well as Austria – that is, allowing tourists from the PCR test – is also unclear.
The Deputy Minister of Italian Health, by the way, clearly hinted at what was going on. “We need to complete the third dose of the vaccine. It remains to introduce another 12-13 million booster doses. If we continue at this pace for 30-40 days, we could complete the acceleration campaign for 49 million people by mid-March, “he said. And once all doses of the vaccine have been introduced, a new scenario will be launched with a gradual easing of restrictive measures, including a “green pass” and full access for tourists.
Earlier we reported that now in Europe under the new rules: which countries have simplified entry.