A medical staffer takes a nasal swab for a COVID-19 rapid test in Rome.
A medical staffer takes a nasal swab for a COVID-19 rapid test in Rome, on Dec. 30, 2021. New coronavirus restrictions have gone into effect in Italy that amounted to a near-lockdown for the unvaccinated. Andrew Medichini, Associated Press
Gitanjali Poonia
By Gitanjali Poonia
Gitanjali is a staff writer for the Deseret News where she writes about politics and culture.

A nurse in Italy was arrested on charges that he faked giving COVID-19 vaccines to at least 45 people so that they could get a health pass, per Fox News.

Instead, the nurse ditched the vaccines in the trash and put bandages on his patients so no one suspected the fraud.

  • The nurse had four accomplices who are currently under house arrest for allegedly finding customers for this scheme. The patients who got these fake vaccines are also under investigation.
  • The nurse was filmed at work at a vaccine site in Ancona, a city on Italy’s eastern coast. In the video, the police saw the nurse injecting the contents in the medical waste bin before pretending to inject the patient's arm, and putting a bandaid on.

According to the Star Tribune, Italy is cracking down on the unvaccinated, requiring proof of vaccination or medical records of recent coronavirus infection.

  • Approximately 86% of the population is currently vaccinated and 60% of those received their booster shots. The country still has 2,134,366 active cases, with 1,677 currently in critical condition, according to the Worldometer, a worldwide coronavirus tracker.
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The U.S. Department of State has issued a “Level Four: Do Not Travel” advisory for Italy.

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