ROME, Jan.5 (Reuters) – Italy on Wednesday made COVID-19 vaccination mandatory for people aged 50 and over, one of the very few European countries to take similar measures, in a bid to ease the pressure on its health services and reduce the number of deaths. .

The measure is effective immediately and will continue until June 15.

Italy has recorded more than 138,000 coronavirus deaths since the onset of its epidemic in February 2020, the second highest death toll in Europe after Britain.

The government of Prime Minister Mario Draghi had already made vaccination compulsory for teachers and health workers, and since October last year all employees must be vaccinated or test negative before entering the workplace. job.

Refusal results in suspension from work without pay, but not dismissal.

Wednesday’s decree hardens the situation for workers over 50 by removing the possibility of taking a test rather than vaccination. It was not immediately clear what the penalty would be for those who flout the rule, effective February 15.

The decree was approved after a two-and-a-half-hour cabinet meeting that saw friction within Draghi’s multi-party coalition.

“Today’s measures are aimed at keeping our hospitals running smoothly and at the same time keeping schools and business activities open,” Draghi told the cabinet, according to his spokesperson.

Right-wing League ministers issued a statement distancing themselves from the over-50 vaccine rule, calling it “without scientific basis, given that the absolute majority of people hospitalized with Covid are well over 60” .

The League succeeded in relaxing a previous draft decree which proposed that only people with proof of vaccination or recent infection could enter public offices, non-essential stores, banks, post offices and hairdressers.

The final decree decided that these places would remain open to the unvaccinated as long as they can test negative.

Elsewhere in Europe, Austria has announced plans to make vaccination compulsory for those over 14 from next month, while in Greece it will be compulsory for those over 60 from January 16. read more

Italy was hit later than several northern European countries by the highly contagious variant of Omicron, but its number of cases has steadily increased in recent weeks, with increasing pressure on hospitals and intensive care units. .

It has averaged more than 150 deaths a day over the past two weeks, with 231 deaths on Wednesday and 259 on Tuesday. Wednesday’s tally of 189,109 new infections was its highest since the start of the pandemic. Read more

About 74% of Italians have received at least two vaccines and 6% have had only one vaccine, according to Our World in Data. Some 35% had a third “booster” injection.

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written by Gavin Jones

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