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COVID-19 RULES

Italy’s ‘green pass’ app set to recognise UK NHS vaccinations ‘as soon as possible’

The Italian authorities have updated the VerificaC19 app to read UK vaccination certificates, according to a software fix on its developer platform - with reports of it already working for some British tourists in Italy.

Published: 12 August 2021 18:02 CEST
Italy's 'green pass' app set to recognise UK NHS vaccinations 'as soon as possible'
Photo by Andreas SOLARO / AFP

Although Italy said it would accept health certificates from several non-EU countries, including the UK, many British travellers have found that they’ve been refused entry to Italy’s sites and venues.

The Italian government made its ‘green pass’ a requirement to enter indoor restaurants, museums, concert venues, gyms, spas, theme parks and many other cultural sites across the country from August 6th.

Medical proof of vaccination against Covid-19 issued in the UK should be accepted for green pass purposes throughout Italy, according to a recent health ministry ordinance – along with other EU countries, Canada, Israel, Japan and the US.

Q&A: Your questions answered about Italy’s new Covid health pass

But after many UK tourists reported they were turned away from Italy’s restaurants and public sites on presenting their health certificate, an update on UK-generated QR codes was revealed on Italy’s digital green certificate software development site.

An Italian computer professor in the UK tweeted that Italy’s VerificaC19 app had gone through updates based on feedback, in order to read the QR codes created by the NHS Covid health certificates.

Although no official announcement has yet been made and the developers are still to make final approvals “in order to allow VerificaC19 to verify NHS Covid Pass as soon as possible”, some readers have contacted The Local to say that it’s already working for them.

Olivia Wybraniec reported that the app recognised her NHS health certificate and said she is “pleased” she won’t have to negotiate for entry into Italy’s sites and venues now.

READ ALSO: Can tourists and visitors use Italy’s Covid ‘green pass’ to access museums, concerts and indoor dining?

Others also confirmed the app is now reading their QR codes following their second vaccination dose.

It seems that continuing technical difficulties can be resolved by Italian businesses updating their VerificaC19 app.

Ross Salamone was disappointed when his QR code couldn’t be read, but then had success when the restaurant he visited downloaded the latest update.

Impett advised that the latest version – 1.1.0 – will work “shortly” after the second vaccination is recorded.

Other readers have contacted The Local to say that in the absence of the app working, they were simply allowed in to the restaurant or venue anyway and were asked to present their documents if an official turned up.

But as businesses risk fines of up to 1,000 euros if they are found not to be enforcing the rules, many sites and venues may seek to apply the rules much more stringently than this.

If you want to check beforehand that your NHS-generated QR code will be read, download the free government app VerificaC19 and select ‘Avvia scansione’ (‘Start scan’) to check your QR code.

If it’s accepted, you’ll see a green tick with the message ‘Certificazione valida‘ (‘Certificate valid’), alongside your name and date of birth.

That’s exactly what businesses and venues scanning your certificate in Italy will see too – for both digital and paper formats of your health certificate. They may also ask for a form of ID to cross-check.

Find the latest updates in our health pass news section and further details on the Italian government’s official Green Pass website (currently only available in Italian).

Member comments

  1. We have downloaded the VerificaC19 app ourselves and tried scanning our NHS covid passes but they don’t work on either of ours. My husband had EMA approved Astra Zeneca for both jabs but one of mine was the Indian supplied Covishield. The last I read this was now accepted by most EU countries but still not by Italy. Does anyone know if this is still the case please?

  2. Downloaded VerificaC19 app and it continually fails to read my double dose vaccine certificate (Vaxzevria made in GB). I have been refused restaurant access. Any ideas?

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HEALTH

Italy’s schools warned to ‘avoid gatherings’ as Covid cases rise

As Italy’s new school year began, masks and hand sanitiser were distributed in schools and staff were asked to prevent gatherings to help stem an increase in Covid infections.

Published: 11 September 2023 12:48 CEST
Italy’s schools warned to ‘avoid gatherings’ as Covid cases rise

Pupils returned to school in many parts of Italy on Monday and authorities said they were distributing masks and hand sanitiser amid a post-summer increase in the number of recorded cases of Covid–19.

“The advice coming from principals, teachers and janitors is to avoid gatherings of students, especially in these first days of school,” Mario Rusconi, head of Italy’s Principals’ Association, told Rai news on Monday.

He added that local authorities in many areas were distributing masks and hand sanitizer to schools who had requested them.

“The use of personal protective equipment is recommended for teachers and students who are vulnerable,” he said, confirming that “use is not mandatory.”

A previous requirement for students to wear masks in the classroom was scrapped at the beginning of the last academic year.

Walter Ricciardi, former president of the Higher Health Institute (ISS), told Italy’s La Stampa newspaper on Monday that the return to school brings the risk of increased Covid infections.

Ricciardi described the health ministry’s current guidelines for schools as “insufficient” and said they were “based on politics rather than scientific criteria.”

READ ALSO:

Recorded cases of Covid have increased in most Italian regions over the past three weeks, along with rates of hospitalisation and admittance to intensive care, as much of the country returns to school and work following the summer holidays.

Altogether, Italy recorded 21,309 new cases in the last week, an increase of 44 percent compared to the 14,863 seen the week before.

While the World Health Organisation said in May that Covid was no longer a “global health emergency,” and doctors say currently circulating strains of the virus in Italy are not a cause for alarm, there are concerns about the impact on elderly and clinically vulnerable people with Italy’s autumn Covid booster campaign yet to begin.

“We have new variants that we are monitoring but none seem more worrying than usual,” stated Fabrizio Maggi, director of the Virology and Biosafety Laboratories Unit of the Lazzaro Spallanzani Institute for Infectious Diseases in Rome

He said “vaccination coverage and hybrid immunity can only translate into a milder disease in young and healthy people,” but added that “vaccinating the elderly and vulnerable continues to be important.”

Updated vaccines protecting against both flu and Covid are expected to arrive in Italy at the beginning of October, and the vaccination campaign will begin at the end of October, Rai reported.

Amid the increase in new cases, Italy’s health ministry last week issued a circular mandating Covid testing on arrival at hospital for patients with symptoms.

Find more information about Italy’s current Covid-19 situation and vaccination campaign on the Italian health ministry’s website (available in English).

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