- Italy now requires a COVID-19 “Green Pass” vaccination certificate for all national workforce.
- Italian workers without health certificate would be suspended from their jobs without pay.
- Workers who show up for work without certificate will be subjected to major fines ranging from 600 to 1,500 Euros.
The COVID ‘Green Pass’ certificate will be mandatory for all Italian workers, according to new plan, approved by the government of Italy today.
The plan, approved by Italian government today, and overwhelmingly supported by the Italian Senate (with 189 voting for it, with only 32 against and two abstentions) is set to be put into motion on October 15.
New plan, which would see those without the pass put on leave without pay, will remain in force until at least the end of this year.
Starting from October 15, all public- and private-sector workers in Italy will have to obtain a COVID-19 ‘Green Pass’ certificate.
Those failing to produce the certificate when requested can be suspended from their jobs after a grace period of five days, though they cannot be fired.
“We are extending the obligation of the green pass to the entire world of work, public and private, and we are doing so for two essential reasons: to make these places safer and to make our vaccination campaign even stronger,” health minister Roberto Speranza said.
Workers without a valid COVID-19 certificate who still dare to show up for work can be subjected to major fines, ranging from €600 to €1,500 ($705 to $1,175). Further details of the plan are expected to be officially unveiled shortly.
Conceived as a tool to document a person’s COVID-19 status and vaccinations to facilitate travel, coronavirus health certificates have already been introduced in multiple EU countries.
In August, Italy made the pass a requirement to visit public venues, such as restaurants and bars, then making it mandatory for teachers and other public sector workers earlier this month. Now, it has become the first European country to make the certificate mandatory for all of its workforce.
