Entry to the Vatican, which will only be able to be accessed, beginning October 1, with a “Green Pass.” At the request of Pope Francis, Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello, President of Vatican City’s Pontifical Commission on Pubic Health Emergencies, issued a mandate to take appropriate measures to counteract the impact of the COVID-19 health emergency in the City.
“Vatican News” reported that in an audience last September 7, the Holy Father requested the Governorate to issue a mandate to take all the appropriate measures to counteract the health emergency in the State. Beginning October 1, only those with a Vatican Green Pass, a European Green Pass, or a foreign COVID-19 Green Certificate, which accredits the vaccination or recovery from SARS-Cov-2 , or the taking of a quick molecular or antigenic test with a negative result for SARS-Cov-2, will be able to enter Vatican State.
The mandate issued by the President of the Pontifical Commission thus establishes the Pope’s recommendation to “guarantee the health and wellbeing of the working community respecting the dignity, the rights and fundamental liberties of each one of its members,” by “adopting every adequate measure to prevent, control and counteract the health emergency.”
The mandate states that control of access to the State is delegated to the Gendarmerie Corps. “These dispositions are applied to the citizens, to the residents in the State, to the personnel that offers any type of service in the Governorate of Vatican City State, and to the different organisms of the Roman Curia and related Institutions, and to all visitors and service users.”
The only exception refers to the Liturgical Celebrations “during the strictly necessary time for carrying out the Rite,” in which, however, the health norms of distancing must be respected, as well as the use of individual protection equipment, limitation of circulation, and people’s meeting and the adoption of specific hygiene norms. Finally, the mandate states that the Workers’ Security and Health Service in the Work of the Health and Hygiene Office will carry out the activity of verification.
Translation by Virginia M. Forrester
