No mask, vaccine pass required in Italian bars

Italians returned Sunday to entering bars to drink espresso without needing to wear a mask or show a vaccine pass, following the government's decision to ease some of the measures to prevent COVID-19 infection.

Face masks, for the first time since the start of the pandemic, are no longer required in supermarkets, bars, shops and most workplaces throughout Italy, but remain mandatory on public transports, theatres, cinemas, concert halls and for indoor sporting events.

However, not all customers or bartenders felt ready to go mask-free and chose to continue to wear one. The government has scrapped the requirement to show a so-called Green Pass that offers proof of a vaccination, a recent recovery from COVID-19 or a negative test to enter most places open to the public.

In Italy, more than 163,000 people have died from COVID-19, according to Johns Hopkins University data.