Italy on Monday introduced new restrictions for people who are not vaccinated against the Covid-19, which will not be able to access restaurants or travel by plane within the country, according to the measures that came into force.
People who have recently exceeded the COVID-19 are exempt from that obligation.
Restrictions for non-vaccinates were adopted due to increased contagion, including among children.
Italy also introduced mandatory vaccination for people over 50 years last week.
The opening of the schools on Monday raises debate within the Government, due to the request of rectors and the union of doctors so that the return to the classes of at least 15 days is postponed.
The Virologist Massimo Galli, of the Sacco hospital in Milan, described the opening of schools as a “imprudent and unjustified” decision, while the public health expert Walter Ricciardi described the situation of “explosive”.
More than 1,000 municipalities have decided to keep schools closed, according to local media information.
Italy, the first European country affected by the Coronavirus at the beginning of 2020, has registered nearly 140,000 deaths.
More than 86% of those over 12 have been vaccinated and around 15% of children from five to 11 years old have received the first dose.
The National Ferrocarrile Company, Trenitalia, announced the cancellation of 180 regional trains on Monday due to the contagion of Coronavirus.
Until March 31, it will be necessary to present the full vaccination certificate or that the contagion has recently recovered, in order to enter restaurants, hotels and sports centers, as well as buses, trains, aircraft and boats.
FFP2 masks are mandatory in theaters, cinemas, sports stadiums and all means of public transport.
The unvaccinated inhabitants of the small Italian islands, who had warned that they ran the risk of being in an “forced exile” by the new rules, obtained an additional permit.
For those inhabitants – for whom the boats and planes are the only means of departure and return to the islands – they will be able to continue traveling by presenting a simple negative evidence until February 10.
