At midnight, the new rules were introduced in all workplaces around Italy, both public and private, as well as for self-employed people.

Train drivers, hairdressers, craftsmen, bakers, office staff - no matter what job you have, you must have a covid pass or Green Pass, as it is called in Italy.

Anyone who has not been vaccinated must present a new covid test at work every other day.

Up to 15,000 in fines

With the help of the vaccine passport app in the mobile phone, employers must check their staff and turn them off without a passport from work - completely without pay.

Employers are also obliged to report to the authorities all staff without a green pass.

Those who do not do so can be fined up to SEK 15,000 and those who let staff without a green pass work may be closed.

- We are doing this to be able to continue to open our country and return to normalcy, says Prime Minister Mario Draghi to the media.

"There is a great deal of popular support"

His and the government's line is fixed and the demands of some unions that demand free covid quick tests for the workers will not be met.

Partly because of the costs it would entail, partly because the whole basic idea of ​​the covid pass, to get more people to get vaccinated, then falls.

As early as September, Italy has requirements for covid passes at bars, restaurants, museums, libraries, sports arenas, trains, flights and a number of other places.

- We see that there is great popular support for this, says Mario Draghi.

Millions unvaccinated

Opinion polls show that as many as 80 percent of Italians are positive about covid passports and even about vaccine coercion for the entire population.

After two covid winters with periods of over 1000 deaths per day, shutdowns for months with enormous social and economic consequences, people just want to get out of the pandemic for good.

Over 70 percent of Italians are fully vaccinated.

But 8.3 million have still not been vaccinated and in some places the opposition is fierce.

Violent protests took place in Rome last weekend.

And today, more are expected across the country as well as major problems in some places, such as the transport and port sector with blocked transports and ports.

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"Getting people vaccinated through such a measure is purely diabolical" - Hear the bar owner about the vaccine passports.

Photo: SVT