Italian cabinet to meet on Wednesday to discuss new covid measures.

The Italian government is set to discuss extending the Super Green Pass requirement to all sectors of workers in a bid to boost the nation's covid-19 vaccination drive.

The Super Green Pass is a "reinforced" version of the "basic" Green Pass and only applies to those who have been vaccinated or recovered from covid-19.

Italy introduced a Green Pass requirement in the workplace on 15 October, affecting 23 million public and private employees, however the prospect of a Super Green Pass for the country's workers is now looking increasingly likely.

The Green Pass is a digital or paper certificate showing that people have been vaccinated, tested negative or recovered from covid-19.

• What are Italy's Green Pass rules for workers?

The Super Green Pass is required for an ever growing range of social, cultural and sporting activities in Italy, however until now the workplace has retained the basic Green Pass system.

Currently, workers who are unvaccinated can still access their place of work provided they present negative covid test results every couple of days.

If the government approves measures to make the Super Green Pass obligatory for all workers it would effectively ban unvaccinated employees from the workplace.

• Italy orders police, teachers and soldiers to get covid vaccine

The move, strongly opposed by anti-vaxxers, would fall short of compulsory vaccination which currently applies to the country's health workers, police, teachers and the military.

Italy's deputy health minister Andrea Costa said on Monday he is "confident" the Super Green Pass will become mandatory for all workers, adding that there is an "open debate" within government on the topic. 

• Covid: Italy sets fixed price for FFP2 masks

Speaking on Italian television programme Controcorrente, Costa said such a move could "help convince the five million unvaccinated" people in Italy.

The Italian cabinet is to meet on Wednesday to discuss new covid measures, days after the government of premier Mario Draghi unveiled new quarantine rules and fresh restrictions for the unvaccinated.

• Italy to ease quarantine rules and tighten Super Green Pass

Talks to extend the Super Green Pass in the workplace as part of last week's decree fell through, with the government deferring discussions until the next cabinet meeting on 5 January.

There are about 2.5 million workers in Italy who are not yet vaccinated among the 5.5 million people (over 12) who have not received even the first dose of the covid vaccine, reports Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore.

For official information about the covid-19 situation in Italy (in English) see the health ministry website. Photo credit: MikeDotta / Shutterstock.com.