Another EU state expands mandatory vaccinations & threatens fines

Italy is set to expand its mandate to require all residents 50 and older to be inoculated against Covid-19 or potentially face monthly penalties

Italy’s government has issued a decree requiring that everyone 50 years old and up be vaccinated against Covid-19, exempting only those who have recently recovered from the virus or who can’t take the shots for medical reasons.

The Council of Ministers unanimously approved the new mandate on Wednesday after weighing various possible measures to reduce the strain on hospitals amid the rapid strain of Covid-19’s Omicron variant. The order is effective from February 15 and is set to continue through at least June 15.

Those who “stubbornly” refuse to comply will face a possible monthly fine of €100, according to Italian media reports. The stiffer penalty comes in addition to €600 to €1,500 fines imposed last year for workers who decline to be immunized. People who’ve previously been infected with Covid-19 will only be exempted, based on their natural immunity, if their bout with the virus occurred within the past six months.

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Italy follows Austria, Germany and Greece in ordering compulsory vaccinations. Austria’s mandate will apply to all residents over 14 years old starting February, while Germany’s will target all adults. Greece limited its requirement to people 60 and older, and introduced a monthly recurring fine of €100 for those who fail to book their appointment for a first Covid vaccine dose by January 16.

Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s government previously imposed vaccine mandates on teachers and health care workers. Since last October, all Italian workers have been required to get jabbed or take tests to prove that they aren’t infected before entering their job sites.

For workers 50 and over, Wednesday’s order will remove the option of taking Covid-19 tests in lieu of vaccination.

Roughly a third of Italians are currently vaccinated with three doses, but some 20% have yet to receive even a single Covid-19 jab.

Newspaper pitches Covid-19 ‘internment camps’

A Scottish paper asked readers whether the nation should follow Australia’s lead in locking up people who may be infected with the virus

Scotland’s largest newspaper has floated the idea of creating internment camps to forcibly detain residents who have tested positive for Covid-19 or who are “suspected” of being infected.

The Daily Record tabloid queried its Facebook followers about the policy on Tuesday, noting that “Australians are being detained in Covid internment camps for 14 days if they test positive or are suspected positive.” The outlet then asked: “Should we follow their lead?”

The newspaper didn’t specify how “suspected” internments might be adjudicated, and whether it would mean locking up those who are spotted sniffling excessively, for example, or citizens who refuse to get vaccinated against Covid-19. Last month, the same tabloid reported that 35% of UK residents believe the unimmunized should be forced into lockdown “until the pandemic has passed,” citing recent polling. It suggested the survey showed strong public support for “harsher measures” on unvaccinated Scots.

The idea was met with pushback on social media. Anti-extremism activist Maajid Nawaz said the paper was, in effect, proposing “crimes against humanity,” while others noted that until recently, the notion of Covid-19 internment camps had been portrayed as a deranged conspiracy theory in corporate media coverage.

Scotland has tightened its Covid-19 restrictions amid the rapid spread of the Omicron variant, imposing lower capacity limits on indoor and outdoor gatherings, shutting down night clubs and discouraging holiday get-togethers. As the Daily Record reported on Wednesday, Scotland has 42 Covid-19 patients hospitalized in intensive-care units.

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Covid-19 quarantine escapees arrested after manhunt

Emulating Australia would take the mitigation program to a prison-like level. When three people last month escaped a Covid-19 quarantine camp near Darwin, police responded with a manhunt to apprehend the internees, even though all three had tested negative for the virus the previous day. Police also set up checkpoints around the internment facility, which used to be a mining camp.

Though the policy has come under fire, Australia appears set to continue it, and is now building even more Covid-19 camps. Last October, Queensland Deputy Premier Steven Miles told Australia’s ABC News that there will be a “continuing need” for quarantine compounds, partly to accommodate visitors who haven’t had access to vaccines. He added that “more secure” facilities will be needed for returning Australians who don’t meet the strict criteria to qualify for home isolation.