ITALY LAUNCHES EU VACCINE PASSPORT

Italy on Thursday launched the EU's "green pass" vaccination certification scheme, which will make it easier for residents to return to normal life both at home and while traveling, Petra Kaminsky reported for Deutsche Presse-Agentur (dpa).

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi signed the decree stipulating how the pass would be issued, with immediate effect, the government said. With the green pass, people who are fully vaccinated, have recovered from COVID-19, or have tested negative for the coronavirus can download the certificate that allows them to move freely in the bloc.

Italy is also considering lifting the requirement that people wear protective face masks outdoors, as case numbers in the country continue to fall.

The requirement was introduced in autumn last year. It remained unclear on Thursday exactly when it would be lifted.

"Being able to take off the mask outside starting from summer is the government's goal, and it's close," Foreign Minister Luigi Di Maio wrote in a Facebook post.

There was speculation in the media that the rule could be lifted in mid-July, while others thought the change could come sooner. The regional government in South Tyrol, which has often pursued its own course during the pandemic, plans to drop the mask-wearing rule by Monday.

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