Italy Extends COVID-19 State Of Emergency To March 31

ROME (UrduPoint News / Sputnik - 15th December, 2021) Italy has once again extended its COVID-19 state of emergency by three months until March 31, 2022, amid a rise in positive coronavirus cases and the emergence of the new Omicron strain, the country's council of ministers said in a statement.

The initial date for the end of the country's state of emergency, which was first introduced in January 2020, was December 31, 2021.

In the new extension, the government noted that people arriving from the European Union to Italy between December 16 and January 31 must undergo compulsory COVID-19 testing. Unvaccinated travelers must also quarantine for five days upon arrival.

The validity period of the Super Green Pass, which provides vaccinated, previously ill with COVID or negatively-tested people special access to venues like restaurants, cinemas and theaters, was also extended until March 31, 2022, from the previous January 15, 2022 date.

As of December 14, the number of new COVID-19 cases in the country exceeded 20,000. Over 297,000 in the country are currently infected with the virus. Identified positive cases with the Omicron strain are significantly lower, with the latest data showing 27 such cases. Over 74% of the country's entire population has received both doses of the COVID-19 vaccine.