Man Uses Fake Arm To Get COVID-19 Vaccination Certificate Without Getting Jabbed

A 50-year-old man in Italy's Piemonte, Turin, used a bizarre trick to fool the healthcare workers to get Europe's COVID vaccine green pass without actually getting the coronavirus jab.

He showed up at the vaccination center with a 'prosthetic arm' to apparently game the system, but ended up getting caught and was later reported to the Italian police in the northern city of Biella.

After getting caught, the man tried to persuade the nurse to turn a blind eye to his trickery. However, the nurse reported him to authorities, Italian newspaper la Repubblica reported.

AP

Looked "very similar" to real skin

His so-called silicone on the prosthetic arm looked "very similar" to real skin, the head of the Piedmont regional government, Albert Cirio, said in a statement on Facebook.

He revealed the entire incident on Facebook, informing that 50-year-old showed up, signed a consent form then pulled up the sleeve to the fake arm and convinced the nurse named Filippa Bua into giving him a jab in order to obtain a COVID vaccine certificate.

"The case borders on the ridiculous, if it were not for the fact we are talking about a gesture of enormous gravity," Cirio, further said in the statement.

Reuters

He said such an act was "unacceptable faced with the sacrifice that our entire community has paid during the pandemic, in terms of human lives, the social and economic cost."

Vaccine rules tightened in Italy

The fake arm incident comes ahead of a tightening of the rules Monday in Italy for people who have not yet been vaccinated against Covid-19.

Since August, a "Green Pass" showing proof of vaccination, recent recovery from coronavirus or a negative test has been required for indoor dining in restaurants, to visit museums, cinemas, theatres and attend sporting events.

But from December 6, these activities will be restricted to holders of a "Super Green Pass", which is only available to those who have been vaccinated or recently had Covid-19.

Reuters

The old Green Pass was extended in October to cover all workplaces, and remains valid for this purpose, meaning the unvaccinated can still go to work by showing a recent negative test.

Covid surge in Italy again

The new restrictions -- the subject of small protests in city centres across Italy on most weekends -- were introduced following an increase in Covid-19 cases, exacerbated in recent days by fears over the new variant Omicron.

Italy was the first European country to be hit by the pandemic in early 2020, but is currently faring better than many of its neighbours.

AFP

On Thursday, 16,800 new cases were reported in the previous 24 hours, with 72 deaths. Almost 85 percent of the eligible population (aged over 12) are already fully vaccinated, and this week the option of a booster dose was extended to all adults.

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