In the restaurant and lido “La Rotta” in Agrigento, Sicily, they have set a good example - or in advance obedience.
In any case, since July 15th, only those who can show the “green passport” have been given access.
Because it gets so full after the digestif in the restaurant on the adjoining beach that you can no longer monitor compliance with the distance and hygiene rules, the decision was made to take the step, say the brothers Andrea and Mirko Franco, who have been running the restaurant since 2017 .
Matthias Rüb
Political correspondent for Italy, the Vatican, Albania and Malta based in Rome.
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The customer reaction was divided.
There was understanding and approval, but above all disappointment and angry rejection.
Reservations were canceled in a row, especially by larger families and larger table parties: Because not everyone in the group had been vaccinated, recovered or tested, the owners of a green passport among them did not want to come either.
Opponents of the vaccination appeared in front of the bar and cursed the security guards who had been hired by the operators to "passport control" at the entrances.
There were negative reviews for the restaurant and lido on the relevant internet portals.
A vaccination is sufficient until the end of August
“We have nothing against anyone and are absolutely in favor of freedom,” says owner Andrea Franco: “There are people who do not understand that we are still in a health emergency. Our decision is only logical to protect the health of our customers. The vaccination opponents want to finish us off, but we're not giving up! ”Soon“ La Rotta ”will be in good, at least all-embracing company.
Because the passport requirement for visiting restaurants and coffee bars should come from Monday for all of Italy. The old regulation, according to which the Italian green passport is issued after the first vaccination dose, should still apply until the end of August. From September onwards, full immunization with two doses is required to obtain the green passport. The green passport is also given to anyone who has recovered from Covid 19 disease in the past six months or who has a negative corona test that must not be older than 48 hours.
In addition to restaurants and coffee bars, the passport is required for sporting events and concerts, for discos, cinemas and theaters, for trade fairs and fitness centers as well as on airplanes, trains and intercity buses. The organizers are also responsible for passport control at celebrations and celebrations after civil and religious ceremonies. Those who fail to comply with the duty of inspection risk having their facility closed for five days. Anyone forging their green passport or gaining access to the facilities concerned without this can face a fine of up to 400 euros.
All twenty regions of the country are still considered "white zones" with the lowest risk of infection. But especially in popular holiday areas such as the Mediterranean islands of Sardinia and Sicily, as well as in Veneto and the capital region of Lazio, the infections have recently risen so sharply that according to the previously valid Corona traffic light, there is a risk of being classified as a "yellow zone" with an increased risk.