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COVID-19 RULES

Italy tightens Covid green pass requirements for hairdressers and shops

As the requirement to show a Covid-19 heath certificate at hairdressers, barbers and beauty salons comes into effect on Thursday, the Italian government is planning to extend the rule to other businesses.

Proof of testing, vaccination or recovery from Covid-19 is now required to visit the hairdressers in Italy.
Proof of testing, vaccination or recovery from Covid-19 is now required to visit the hairdressers in Italy. Photo: Andreas Solaro/AFP

From February 20th until at least March 31st, Italy’s green pass (the ‘basic’ version, which is also accessible via a negative test result) is a requirement for entry to businesses in the “personal services” category: namely hairdressers, barbers, and beauty salons.

This change was announced under Italy’s last government decree, published on January 7th, but is only coming into force now as the introduction of many new rules has been staggered.

Calendar: When do Italy’s Covid-19 rules change?

The same requirement will apply to public offices, banks and post offices from February 1st, the last decree states.

As these rules come in, the government is also set to announce more changes on Thursday – including an extension of the basic green pass requirement to all but the most essential businesses, shops and services.

Ministers are reportedly still finalising details of the latest round of changes to the nationwide health measures under another incoming decree awaited on Thursday, following days of discussion with regional authorities and scientific advisors.

Food shops will be exempt from Italy’s pass requirement. Photo: Miguel MEDINA / AFP

According to reports in Italian media, the list of exempt ‘essential’ businesses is expected to include pharmacies, supermarkets, grocery stores, opticians and tobacconists.

Open-air shops and services such as petrol stations, markets, newsstands and kiosks are also likely to be exempt, according to reports.

These new rules have not yet been officially announced and no start date has been confirmed at the time of writing.

Many other businesses and services in Italy already require the ‘reinforced’ version of the green pass, proving vaccination or recovery, including bars, hotels and all forms of public transport.

Italy currently has a two-tiered green pass system in place, with the ‘basic’ version of the pass available to those who test negative, alongside the ‘reinforced’ or ‘super’ green pass which proves the bearer is vaccinated against or has recovered from Covid-19.

The green pass takes the form of a QR code that can be scanned and checked by public sector and service industry workers.

The responsibility for enforcing the rules at shops and businesses falls to owners or managers, who can face fines of up to 1,000 euros for failing to ensure customers have a valid green pass.

READ ALSO: At a glance: What Covid-19 rules are now in place in Italy?

The new rules are expected to apply nationwide, regardless of the zone a region is in under Italy’s four-tiered system of risk classifications.

Under the incoming decree, the Italian government is also “reconsidering” the system of white, yellow, orange and red ‘zones’, which has been in place since November 2020.

It’s not yet known whether the tiered system will be altered or scrapped altogether, as the government’s strategy for dealing with the pandemic relies increasingly on vaccinations rather than business closures and lockdown measures.

For the moment, the coloured tier system remains in place with most of the country designated a ‘yellow’ zone as of Monday.

For further details about Italy’s current Covid-19 health measures please see the Italian health ministry’s website (available in English).

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.

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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