Italy wanted to make life difficult for people who refused to get vaccinated against Covid-19.
And it's working.
Those who are not vaccinated are prevented from entering cafes, restaurants, cinemas, hotels, fairs, gyms and practically all other closed spaces. Domestic flights, ferries, trains and local public transport are also off limits, as are cable cars.
Patrizia Bianco, an unvaccinated 55-year-old woman who lives in Liguria, on the northwest coast of Italy, misses eating pasta with vegetables at her local Chinese restaurant and drinking freshly squeezed orange juice at seaside cafes in her small town. She sometimes grabs a takeaway sandwich and eats it on the beach – the only place she feels welcome.
Law 74/2025 is being challenged in the Court of Justice of the European Union. For thousands of descendants, the next step depends on understanding how the new rule has affected each case.
Your case may still have a legal outcome.
ANALYZE MY CASEOn a recent morning, she brought hot tea and cookies from home and sat on the beach watching the sea from what she calls her “freedom tea room.”
Italian rules prevent Bianco from flying domestically or taking ferries, leading her to find an alternative solution to get to Sardinia, the island where her parents live and where she has clients for her alternative medicine practice.
For international flights between most European countries, a mask and a negative Covid-19 test are sufficient, so she plans to fly from mainland Italy to Spain – and then to Sardinia. Your journey will take 17 hours door to door instead of the usual five.
While the government has closed many aspects of daily life to the unvaccinated, new social norms formed over two years of the pandemic have also pushed holdouts to the margins.
“People don’t greet me on the street anymore,” said Bianco. “If I take a step towards them, they take a step back. It’s sad.”
Tougher measures from February 1st
Italy has been at the forefront of a cadre of European countries, including France and Germany, that are resorting to increasingly strict measures to pressure the unvaccinated into getting a shot. Meanwhile, European countries have been trying to restore normal daily life for the vaccinated majority.
From February 1, Italy also plans to impose a 100-euro fine on any resident aged 50 or over who is not vaccinated and ban them from workplaces from February 15.
“I am surprised by the resistance [to vaccination] among those over 50,” said Walter Ricciardi, professor of public health and advisor to the Italian Ministry of Health. “It seems they have lost their survival instinct.”
Italy and other countries separate the vaccinated from the unvaccinated using the European Union Covid-19 digital certificate, known in Italy as green pass, usually in the form of a QR code on a cell phone. The basic pass is given to a person who is vaccinated, has recently recovered from Covid or has just tested negative for the virus. Increasingly, however, entry into public spaces requires the QR code to show vaccination or recovery: a negative test is no longer enough.
The digital Covid certificate has drawn the ire of Europe's unvaccinated and has been the focus of public protests. But polls show that most Europeans believe the digital pass has helped restore a semblance of normality, even as the Omicron variant of the virus sweeps the continent.
Unvaccinated Italians can still go to the bank, hairdresser or beautician, but only with a recent negative test. From February 1, a negative test will also be required for most stores, shopping centers, post offices and all government offices. Food stores, pharmacies and places of worship will remain open for vaccinations.
A vaccination is now mandatory for healthcare professionals in Itália, police officers and people who work in schools, universities and long-term care institutions.
Italy's vaccination rate is among the highest in Europe. Around 76% of the country's population is fully vaccinated, while for those over 12 years of age it is 87%. (WSJ)
