Vatican demands COVID-19 ‘Green Pass’ for entry to historic museums

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Vatican demands COVID-19 ‘Green Pass’ for entry to historic museums

Italy's new Green Pass offers 9 months of free movement to the double-jabbed.

Mon Aug 9, 2021 VATICAN CITY (LifeSiteNews) – Going to Rome? You’ll need a COVID-19 passport to be admitted to the Vatican Museums.

A July 29 statement from the Vatican Museums confirmed that, as of August 6 “and until further notice, access to the Vatican Museums and all related areas will be permitted only to those in possession of a Green COVID-19 Certification (Green Pass or equivalent certificate).”

The Green Pass comes in both a digital and paper form and is issued automatically to people registered on Italy’s public health system. Those not on the system can obtain a pass by applying through a government-run website dedicated to the Green Pass.

The pass identifies holders as having either been “vaccinated” against COVID-19, testing negative for the virus, or having recovered from illness brought on by the virus. Applicants must submit proof of their status to Green Pass administrators to obtain the certificate.

Certification is offered on three levels, based on the type of proof submitted. Vaccination is considered the highest level, granting those confirmed to have taken a full regimen of either the Pfizer, Moderna, AstraZeneca, or Janssen (Johnson & Johnson) jabs 270 days (or around nine months) of Green Pass authorization. The next level applies to those who have demonstrably recovered from COVID-19 infection; they are given 180 days (around six months) on the Green Pass. In last place, a negative antigen or molecular test will provide just 48 hours on the Green Pass.

In order to verify that the identity of a Green Pass holder matches the person attempting to enter the Vatican Museums, the organization noted that its staff “may also request the visitor’s identity document [e.g., a passport], in order to verify actual ownership.”

“Therefore, please arrive at the Museums with the required documents ready for inspection, in order to facilitate control and access procedures,” the notice reads.

The statement urges those who booked tours at the Museums before the mandate to be sure to bring the relevant documentation as they too “will in any case” be required to have signed up to the Green Pass system.

Besides the new restriction on admission, the Vatican Museums are running heightened modifications to their normal order of business, including the cancellation of their popular “extraordinary openings on the last Sunday of the month,” which allowed guests free entry. They are also staggering entry in 30-minute, pre-booked slots, reducing the overall daily visitor capacity.

Masks and a temperature check are also required.

“To enter the Vatican Museums and Gardens it is obligatory to wear a mask covering the nose and mouth. The mask must be worn for the entire duration of the visit,” the guidelines now read.

Additionally, “[a]ccess will be denied to all those with a body temperature of 37.5º C or more.”

The implementation of the Green Pass requirement coincides with announcements from the Italian government that the certificates will be required nationwide if citizens wish to engage in normal social activities. From August 6 the passes will be made a legal requirement for indoor dining, as well as access to entertainment venues like bars, theatres, amusement parks, festivals, and sports arenas.

Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi announced that the “Green Pass is essential if we want to keep businesses open.” It was also confirmed that non-compliance with the requirement, be it on the part of the patron or the proprietor of a business, will be penalized heavily, with fines between €400 and €1,000 (up to $1,175 U.S.) being levied per offence. Businesses which fail to implement the ruling three times in three days will face enforced closure of their premises for up to ten days.

But the prospect of having to prove one’s immunity to the virus under such penalties has caused uprisings in Italy and other countries. Many thousands of Italians took to the streets towards the end of July in major metropolises like Rome, Milan, Naples, and Turin to demonstrate their opposition to the newly approved Green Pass system.

Likewise, in the U.K. and Australia, where the local governments have been dangling COVID “passports” over the public in order to coerce vaccination uptake, tens of thousands of protestors rallied together in opposition to the draconian measures being implemented. Australians have been forced to remain in their homes except to buy food, to seek medical assistance, to perform an “essential” in-person job, or to exercise with no more than one other person. Protestors have marched on British capital London and Australia’s most populated city, Sydney.