Italy hit with protests as country implements some of world’s toughest vax restrictions

Italy has been rocked hard by protests this week as it moves to implement severe COVID-19 vaccination restrictions for roughly the country’s entire workforce.

Workers in Italy—in both the public and private sectors—are now required to display a “green pass” in order to work; the pass signifies either their vaccination against SARS-Cov-2, a recovery from a recent case of COVID-19, or a negative test. 

Officials had feared that the planned protests might result in widespread industry disruptions around the country, though much of the nation’s commerce continued to function amid the demonstrations. 

The vast majority of residents in Italy above 12 years old have received at least one injection of the vaccine, though several million workers in the country remain unvaccinated.