New Law Requiring ‘Green Pass’ Goes Into Effect in Italy

An example of the Green Pass workers are required to show in Italy (Public Domain Pictures).

The new law requiring the Green Pass for all workers in the Italian workforce took effect on October 15. The Green Pass ensures that workers show proof of a COVID-19 vaccination, a recent negative test, or recovery from COVID-19. This law is another attempt taken by countries to limit the effects of the pandemic.

Italy was one of the countries hit the hardest at first by the COVID-19 pandemic. As a result, the Italian government put initial restrictions in place rapidly to prevent the spread of COVID-19. With the second wave, officials reinstated restrictions, which began to lift as the vaccine became available. Italy boasts a vaccination rate of 71 percent, which is lower than Ireland but higher than most other EU countries.

This law marks a new step to minimize COVID-19 cases, which have persisted despite increasing vaccination rates. If a worker refuses to get a Green Pass, the new law requires them to take unpaid leave, and if they refuse to comply, they will face the risk of fines. Employers are responsible for verifying the status of their employee’s green passes.

From a legal standpoint, the law has faced minimal backlash and currently faces no legal challenges. Politically, right-wing groups including the Five Star Movement, the political party in power before current Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi, have used opposition to the new law in order to garner support. However, Draghi and the current government have held widespread support from most parties. Attempts to increase the vaccination rate have only bolstered their popularity and sense of stability.

Protests over the law’s introduction remain limited after an initial backlash. The first protest against the new law gained traction, attracting nearly 10,000 citizens, and it became violent as right-wing extremists joined the mix. However, since then, protestors in various Italian cities have struggled to gather large numbers, such as in Florence, where law enforcement, reporters, and other bystanders outnumbered protestors.

Requiring the Green Pass within the workforce broke through a new barrier with regulations to prevent the spread of COVID-19 and increase vaccination rates. While other Western democracies have used incentives, such as requirements for restaurants in France or appeals by President Biden for private companies to require vaccinations, no other democracy has used a requirement to this scale—up until now. This requirement marks a new step in recovering from the pandemic.