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03rd Dec 2021

Italian man accused of trying to dodge Covid vaccination by wearing fake arm

Stephen Porzio

Once discovered, the man is alleged to have tried to convince a health worker to “turn a blind eye”.

An Italian man tried to dodge receiving a Covid-19 vaccination by wearing a fake arm, according to an official.

The incident is reported to have occurred in Biella, a city in the Piedmont region of the country.

In a Facebook post, Piedmont President Alberto Cirio said the 50-year-old man showed up to one of Biella’s vaccine hubs with a silicone limb.

He stated that while the silicone was very similar to real skin, its colour and feel made the health worker assigned to perform the vaccination suspicious.

The politician also said that once the fake arm was discovered, the 50-year-old tried to convince the health worker to “turn a blind eye”.

The man has been reported to Italy’s Carabinieri and the case has been referred to public prosecutors.

“He thought he could cheat the system and thus obtain the ‘Green Pass’ without actually having had the vaccine,” Cirio wrote.

“The case borders on the ridiculous, if it were not for the fact that we are talking about a gesture of enormous gravity, unacceptable in the face of the sacrifice that the pandemic is making our entire community pay.

“The worker’s promptness and skill ruined this individual’s plans and he will now be brought to justice.

“Our thanks go to all the health workers who have been working uninterruptedly for months on our vaccination campaign without ever lowering their attention and professionalism.”

The reports of the incident come as Italy is set to tighten its Covid-19 restrictions on Monday (6 December) for people unvaccinated against the disease.

In Italy currently, a “Green Pass” showing either proof of vaccination, recent recovery from the virus or a negative test is required for indoor dining in restaurants, as well as to visit museums, cinemas and theatres and attend sporting events.

However, from Monday, these activities are to be restricted to “Super Green Pass” holders, a cert only available to those who have been vaccinated against Covid or recently had the virus.

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