Thousands of people protested at Italian ports and across towns and cities Friday against the introduction of one of the world's toughest Covid pass regimes, but fears of widespread disruption failed to materialise. From Friday, all workers must show a so-called Green Pass offering proof of vaccination, recent recovery from Covid-19 or a negative test -- or face being declared absent without pay. Some are against vaccines, some are afraid, while others -- undocumented workers and foreigners notably -- have reported difficulties accessing the nationwide vaccine programme. Ahead of the extension of the Green Pass to workplaces, more than 560,000 certificates were downloaded on Wednesday and around 860,000 Thursday. However, there are concerns there is not enough capacity for everyone who is not vaccinated to have regular Covid tests, raising the prospect of mass absenteeism from work.
