Fans attending sporting events in Italy from December 6 will need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19 as part of new measures brought in to limit the spread of the virus.
Fans will be required to present a so-called Super Green Pass to prove that they are vaccinated or have recovered from COVID-19. The rule is set to be in place until January 15 and this may be extended.
Spectators are currently able to attend sporting events if they are not vaccinated – as long as they show proof of a negative COVID-19 test. The new rule means that only vaccinated people can attend stadiums, with the measure also applying to concerts, indoor bars and restaurants.
Other places covered by the Super Green Pass include cinemas, theatres, gyms and ski lifts. Italy registered 12,448 new COVID-19 infections on Wednesday, up from 10,047 on Tuesday.
The new measures in Italy come after Austria entered into a full national lockdown on Monday following an increase in COVID-19 cases. Sporting events in Austria will be held without fans until December 12 as a result of the lockdown.
Last week, Dutch football authorities expressed their “great dismay” at a reintroduction of a ban on spectators in stadiums as part of a three-week lockdown.
The Dutch Football Association (KNVB) and the country’s top two divisions expressed their opposition to Caretaker Dutch Prime Minister Mark Rutte’s announcement of a three-week lockdown in response to rising cases of COVID-19.
As well as professional sports matches being played in empty stadiums, there are fresh restrictions on the opening times of bars, restaurants and supermarkets which will all have to be closed by 8pm.
Image: Liam McKay on Unsplash
