Unvaccinated banned from Italian bars, restaurants and public transport
New restrictions targeting the unvaccinated came into force in Italy on Monday, where a negative COVID-19 test no longer grants access to bars, restaurants, and domestic public transport.
Prime minister Mario Draghi was scheduled to speak to the nation at 18:00 CET alongside health minister Roberto Speranza and education minister Patrizio Bianchi.
People who recently recovered COVID-19 are exempted from the new rule which will be in force until March 31.
The latest restriction comes into force as many Italians returned to work and school following the end-of-year festive period and as COVID-19 infections are soaring past 100,000 per day.
More than 1,000 municipalities have decided to keep schools closed on their territory, according to media reports.
School headmasters and doctors' unions had urged the government to delay the return to school by at least another 15 days.
School districts have complained they don't have enough teachers to reopen, since so many are positive or in quarantine. National railway company Trenitalia said on Monday it had cancelled 180 regional trains due to staff shortages caused by COVID-19 infections.
More than 86 per cent of the over-12s have been vaccinated and some 15 per cent of children aged five to eleven have received their first vaccine.
Italians have by and large supported the restrictions, which in recent months have also included outdoor mask mandates and a standard health pass to get into workplaces. Many welcomed the new restrictions, which were being enforced Monday by police fanning out at train stations to check passengers' vaccine status and make sure they were wearing the more protective FFP2 face masks, which were required on public transport as of Monday.
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