Coronavirus Digest: Italy Extends Restrictions For Unvaccinated
On Monday, several new restrictions came into place in Italy for those not vaccinated against Covid-19.
In order to visit restaurants, hotels, trade fairs, ski lifts, local or long-distance trains and buses, you must now present a proof of vaccination against or recent recovery from Covid-19. Previously, a negative test result was also accepted.
The new rule also applies to team sports, so all professional soccer players must be vaccinated in order to play.
EU tourists can use the QR codes of their vaccination certificates to get around the country.
Italy has seen a spike in infections recently, with the latest figures showing 1,669 new cases per 100,000 residents in the last seven days.
Here are the latest major developments on coronavirus from around the world:
Africa
School pupils in Uganda returned to the classroom, in some cases for the first time in nearly two years.
In the world’s longest disruption to in-person learning, schools across the country have been partially or completely shut down across the country since March 2020. Local experts and teachers have warned, however, that the long pause has proven a permanent end to the education of many students who have begun working in the meantime to help support their families.
Asia
A massive booster campaign has begun in India, with frontline workers and inhabitants over 60 being first in line to get more doses of Covid-19 vaccines.
India has recently reported a surge in cases, particularly amongst health care personnel and essential workers such as police.
Europe
Sajid Javid, health minister of the United Kingdom, has ordered the country’s private health care providers to strike a deal with the National Health Service to provide crucial treatments such as cancer surgeries should the NHS become overwhelmed with coronavirus patients.
Hospitalizations for Covid-19 are at their highest in the UK since last February, and ill personnel have meant staffing shortages at many health care facilities.