Health Undersecretary Andrea Costa
said Friday that the possibility of making COVID vaccination
obligatory for those working with the public should be
considered.
At present, only health workers are obliged to get the jab.
"We were among the first to introduce the obligatory vaccine for
health workers," Costa said on Italian radio.
"We must think about doing it with other categories, those who
are in contact with the public, such as the police and those
working in large retail outlets".
Carlo Bonomi, president of industrial employers' group
Confindustria, agreed that "sadly we are seeing a rise in (COVID
infection) numbers that cannot leave us unconcerned.
"The only thing that can make us safe is obligatory vaccines".
Regional Affairs Minister Mariastella Gelmini also said that
"there are no new restrictions at the moment, but if we are
forced into a colour change (to higher COVID risk), I think the
85% of Italians who have been vaccinated cannot be penalised".
Italian governors have called for lockdown measures against the
unvaccinated and anti-vaxxers.
Fruili Governor Massimiliano Fedriga, chair of the conference of
the regions, said Friday forcing anti-vaxxers to get the jab
would be like "firing" them and asked for Green Pass health
certificates to be checked on the border with Austria, where the
virus is "spreading like wildfire".
Veneto Governor Luca Zaia said making vaccines compulsory for
anti-vaxxers was not possible in Italy.
Ex-premier Silvio Berlusconi's centre-right Forza Italia (FI)
party said "we are seriously thinking of making vaccinations
obligatory".
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