[Report] "Italy's Unvaccinated Face Job Loss with 'Vaccine Pass'... Establishing With Corona through Choice and Focus"

Kang Hyeong-sik, Consul General in Milan: "Normalization through Authorities' Efforts and Civic Awareness"
With Corona from June... Booster Shots Expanded to People in Their 40s Starting Next Month
Flexible Application Depending on Facilities and Locations... Immediate Strengthening if Situation Worsens

The 'CPhI Worldwide 2021' event, the world's largest biopharmaceutical conference held simultaneously online and offline for the first time in Milan since COVID-19, featured participation from over 1,400 companies across 170 countries. A welcoming banner for visitors was displayed at the event, which resumed after two years.

[Asia Economy Milan (Italy) = Reporter Seo So-jung] "Recently, nearly 60,000 football fans gathered for the home match between AC Milan and Inter Milan, but it ended in an orderly manner."

Giovanni, a stadium official met at San Siro Stadium in Milan on the 11th (local time), told reporters, "Vaccination and mask-wearing are mandatory, and while beverages can be consumed inside the stadium, only non-alcoholic drinks are allowed," adding, "Although a major match was held recently, there were no issues."

Italy, which has been implementing a 'gradual return to normal life (With Corona)' since June, is rapidly recovering daily life through strong vaccine passes (Green Pass, immunity certificates) and flexible quarantine policies depending on facilities and locations. Given the European characteristic of many football fans, the threshold for outdoor stadiums has also been lowered. On the 7th, 57,000 people gathered at San Siro Stadium for the home match between AC Milan and Inter Milan. San Siro Stadium can accommodate 80,000 people but allows entry up to 75% capacity.

Changes in Europe's COVID-19 Spread Centers... Additional Vaccinations for People in Their 40s Starting Next Month

Lombardy, in northern Italy where Milan, the economic and financial center, is located, suffered greatly from COVID-19 last year. Lombardy is the region with the highest GDP per capita among Italy's 20 regions, but due to the authorities' poor initial response, confirmed cases and deaths surged, causing Italy and Europe to be stigmatized as a COVID-19 hotspot.

Now, more than a year later, the atmosphere has completely changed. Kang Hyung-sik, Consul General in Milan, whom we met locally, said, "The authorities' continuous efforts to avoid repeating failures and the citizens' awareness have led to a rapid return to normal life." He evaluated, "Applying Europe's strongest vaccine pass while maintaining harmony with daily life through a 'selective and focused' quarantine approach is leading to the early establishment of With Corona."

As of this day, Italy's vaccination completion rate is 75.2%, lower than Korea's (77.6%). Despite this, the vaccination completion rate among the population aged 12 and over is 83.7%, ranking among the top in Europe. Italy began With Corona earlier than Korea in June. Recently, as confirmed cases approached 8,000, the government, feeling a sense of crisis, will expand the target for COVID-19 booster shots to include people in their 40s starting from the 1st of next month.

"Unvaccinated Employees Must Resign"... Europe's Strongest Vaccine Pass

Consul General Kang Hyung-sik of Milan (right) and Deputy Director Park Jin-seok of KOTRA (Korea Trade-Investment Promotion Agency) are explaining the current COVID-19 situation and quarantine policies in Milan.

Italy manages the country by dividing it into four levels?Red, Orange, Yellow, and White?based on data such as new confirmed cases per 100,000 residents, and Milan is currently at the lowest level, White. Although confirmed cases are rapidly increasing with the arrival of winter, the local reaction in Italy is calm. This is due to the effect of the strong vaccine pass. When entering indoor restaurants, gyms, museums, art galleries, or using long-distance transportation such as trains, airplanes, and express buses, a vaccine pass must be presented. Vaccine passes are also mandatory in places where many people gather, such as conferences, event halls, and stadiums.

Since introducing the vaccine pass in August, Italy differs most from Korea in its application to private companies. Consul General Kang said, "Not only schools and public institutions but also private companies require vaccination; otherwise, employees must resign." He added, "There are protests against the strong vaccine pass, but it is surprising that citizens who suffered greatly from COVID-19 in the past actively cooperate and accept it."

However, the quarantine level has not been raised everywhere but is applied flexibly depending on the place and facility. Italy lifted the outdoor mask mandate in almost all regions nationwide from June 28. This is based on scientific judgment that the risk of infection is reduced outdoors where social distancing is possible, so masks are less necessary.

But if the situation worsens, quarantine measures are immediately strengthened. The Italian Ministry of the Interior introduced a new administrative order related to protests and demonstrations against the vaccine pass starting from the 9th. Accordingly, from this weekend, protests and demonstrations will not be allowed in historic districts and streets crowded with shops in the city center.

Consul General Kang emphasized, "Some European countries are considering lockdown policies as confirmed cases recently hit record highs, but Italy is not yet considering this," adding, "Italy's selective and focused quarantine model, with a population of 60 million similar to Korea and its economic scale, can serve as a reference for Korea, which is fully transitioning to With Corona."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.